GP4Streets brings DIY urban greening to Guildford Green Day 2026
The GP4Streets team, led by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey, joined Guildford Green Day 2026 on 14 June 2026 with an interactive stand on Guildford High Street. Building on last year’s success, the team showed how simple, “do-it-yourself” greening ideas can help cool busy streets, improve air quality and make neighbourhoods more pleasant places to walk, cycle and spend time.
Using real-time air quality displays and hands-on activities, visitors could explore how pollution and heat vary along the High Street and nearby streets – and how small changes in planting, shading and street design can make a real difference.
At the VIP reception, Professor Prashant Kumar, Founding Director of GCARE and Co-Director of the Institute for Sustainability, highlighted how projects like GP4Streets rely on strong partnerships between communities, councils and researchers. By bringing monitoring tools and evidence directly onto the High Street, the team could have practical conversations about what kinds of greening measures residents would like to see on their own streets.
The stall also welcomed the local Member of Parliament, who heard how GP4Streets is supporting community-led action on greener, cooler and healthier streets, aligned with Guildford Borough Council’s ambitions on climate adaptation and air quality.
On the stand, researchers including Dr Hao Sun and Dr Akash Biswal led conversations with visitors about their everyday journeys – school runs, commutes and shopping trips – and how targeted greening can reduce exposure to heat and pollution. Many people were keen to discuss realistic actions, from more trees and planters to shading for walking and cycling routes. These conversations are helping GP4Streets shape practical tools and guidance that communities and decision-makers can use together.
Council members also showed interest in the RECLAIM Urban Greening “How-To” Toolkit, which complements GP4Streets by offering evidence-based guidance to plan and deliver nature-based solutions in Guildford and other towns and cities.
Participation in Guildford Green Day 2026 underlines GP4Streets’ commitment to co-creating solutions with local people. The project will continue to work with residents, schools, local authorities and partners to test and scale DIY greening ideas that support cooler, healthier and more climate-resilient streets.
GP4Streets (DIY Greening Prescription for Climate Adaptation in Urban Streets) is led by GCARE in partnership with the Universities of Bath, Sheffield, UWE Bristol and Imperial College London. It is funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) – including NERC, AHRC, EPSRC, ESRC and MRC – and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) under the Maximising UK Adaptation to Climate Change initiative (grant reference UKRI1281). The work connects with GCARE’s wider portfolio, including GREENIN, SMART-COAT and RECLAIM, all focused on healthier, more climate-resilient places to live and work.