UoG launches Bristol Quiet Areas Plan – seeking the city’s most restorative places

University of Gloucestershire researchers have launched a pioneering research and engagement project to identify and map Bristol’s most restorative urban spaces, focusing on accessibility, sensory wellbeing and nature-rich environments.

The Bristol Quiet Areas Plan will investigate how neurodivergent adults and wider communities experience quiet, accessible, cool and nature-rich urban spaces across Bristol.

Working in partnership with Disability.Inc (WECIL) and Visit West, and involving international partners Hush City and Tranquil City, the University will map the city’s most restorative and inclusive local urban spaces featuring three pilot sites.

The project builds on the success of Bristol Soundwalks – a longstanding citizen-led initiative that encourages people to listen, map, and reflect on urban soundscapes. By combining participatory soundwalks, co-creation workshops, accessibility audits, and digital mapping, the project will identify what makes public spaces restorative, accessible, and welcoming for individuals sensitive to sound and sensory environments.

Using the Hush City App alongside open data mapping, researchers and participants will generate new insights linking accessibility, soundscapes, green infrastructure, and wellbeing. The Quiet Areas identified will include local green and blue spaces – such as shaded parks, riversides, tranquil courtyards, and tree-lined streets – that provide refuge from noise, heat, and sensory overload while supporting biodiversity and climate resilience.

The findings could guide Bristol City Council’s future strategies on accessibility, nature, and health while supporting the city’s One City Plan and Climate and Ecological Emergency objectives.

The Quiet Areas Map will be hosted on Visit West’s Accessibility Hub, helping residents and visitors discover restorative places to pause, and quieter pathways between them. These small interventions can significantly increase confidence, independence and willingness to travel.

Available in digital and downloadable formats, the Map will showcase three exemplar spaces and create a transferable model for future mapping across the city and wider region. Combining lived experience with environmental data, the project aims to develop a framework for identifying and protecting restorative spaces that enhance quality of life for both people and wildlife.

Sarah Jones-Morris, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture and Co-Investigator, and Jamie Liversedge, Senior Lecturer in Landscape Architecture and Principal Investigator, said: “Quietness is essential for everyone’s wellbeing. By mapping and celebrating Bristol’s accessible and tranquil spaces with those who need them most, we aim to contribute to making the city more inclusive, restorative, and nature positive.”

The project is funded by the Ecological Citizen(s) Network+ and runs from December 2025 to August 2026.