Goal 11: Policies, processes and practices
The following page outlines specific policies, process and practices in support of Sustainable Development Goal 11 Sustainable cities and communities.
Sustainable working
We undertake a range of actions to promote more sustainable commuting (such as interest free loans for public transport season tickets or our low emission vehicle scheme) and we have committed to many more targets in our Environmental Sustainability strategy (Section 5.5).
We promote remote working or offer a condensed working for employees as a matter of standard practice, as part of our Flexible Working Policy, which reduces employee commuting. Our flexible working webpages outline the different policies and guidance available alongside examples of flexible working arrangements.
Our Hybrid Working Framework sets out the principles of hybrid working at the University and three main categories that the majority of roles will fall into. We offer video-conferencing facilities to allow staff to dial into meetings remotely and all staff have free access to meeting and video conferencing software (e.g. Zoom) to support remote working as well as Microsoft Teams, our digital hub for communication and collaboration across our University.
Sustainable commuting
Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy commits us to measure and set targets for sustainable commuting across a wide range of indicators. Our annual carbon commuter survey gathers data on staff and student commuting patterns to and from the University, and tracks changes in travel choices. This data helps inform and shape the sustainable travel goals, enabling us to enhance incentives and infrastructure in areas where a shift to more sustainable travel modes is needed. We also include staff and student commuting in our Scope 3 Emissions measurement, and is included in our target to be Net Zero by 2050.
In 2023/24, the survey results indicate that the carbon generated by travel to and from the University totals approximately 176,123 tonnes CO2e. This represents an increase of approximately 556 tCO2e compared to the figure for 2022/23, which was calculated based on responses received in the 2022 travel survey.
We are committed to promoting sustainable commuting through various initiatives on campus. As part of our target to achieve BREEAM excellent for new builds, and ‘very good’ for refurbishments, as governed by our environmental sustainability project tracker we prioritize infrastructure that supports and encourages sustainable travel.
We offer nine cycle shelters on campus, 4,000 cycle parking facilities including disabled cycle parking, and 65 showers to encourage cycling and active travel. Our campus map shows you where to find our cycling facilities. Our Cycle to Work scheme can help colleagues to save money on bikes and accessories. We also offer an e-bike hire scheme for our staff members. Each year we take part in Love to Ride, a global initiative to help more people realise the benefits of cycling. The University of Manchester also has a Bicycle Users’ Group which is a friendly and welcoming community offering a buddy system and monthly events. Alternatively, we have a community for walkers called MCR strollers and UMRUN for runners.
To further enhance our active travel community we run quarterly Active Travel Breakfasts to provide staff resources and networking opportunities.
We also offer incentives to our people to travel by bus & train. Free travel is available on the 147 bus from Piccadilly Station to our main campus and Interest-free loans are available to colleagues to support the purchase of public transport annual season tickets. For those that must drive we offer a low emission vehicle scheme for cars that emit less than 50g of carbon per km. There are eight electric vehicle charging bays in Booth Street West car park and four in Cecil Street car park.
Affordable housing for staff and students
The University provides staff with housing support, evaluates affordable housing options, and offers financial aid to employees. We provide affordable and subsidised accommodation options for staff who wish to live in halls of residence. The affordability of these halls is aligned with staff incomes and evaluated against the local market. With all utility costs included, this can often be a more cost-effective option than private accommodation. Our housing options are designed to be accessible to staff, particularly those on below-median incomes in the UK. There is also the option for employees to volunteer as Residential Life Advisors, which in turn provides accommodation free of charge. In our Relocation Policy, we also subsidise the costs of housing relocation fees for staff and have self-contained flats for visiting academic staff or those relocating to the University.
We also provide students with housing support, evaluate affordable housing options, and offer financial aid to assist them. Each year, we assess the local market to ensure we provide a range of affordable accommodation options. The cost of our student housing is lower than that of the private sector, and all students living in halls benefit from the inclusion of utility bills in their rent. For students facing financial challenges, we offer access to our Living Cost Support Fund, a non-repayable financial aid designed to help cover housing costs.
Pedestrian priority on campus
We have prioritized a range of pedestrian access schemes across campus as part of our commitment to promoting active travel, as outlined in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy (page 25). Key areas have been reshaped to enhance pedestrian access, including the transformation of Brunswick Street into Brunswick Park, a tranquil green space that encourages walking. The part-pedestrianisation of Oxford Road has significantly reduced traffic, improving safety and comfort for pedestrians. Additionally, the redevelopment of the The Old Quad converted a car park into a green pedestrian thoroughfare, and achieving an 80% biodiversity net gain. The pedestrianisation of AMBS and University Green. has also improved walkability and made these areas more inviting.
We adhere to BREEAM sustainability standards in all new developments, such as the Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) , ensuring the availability of secure cycle parking, showers, and changing facilities to support active commuting. Our Code of Practice for Design Teams ensures that pedestrian access is maintained across campus, even during construction, preserving uninterrupted walkways. These construction and refurbishment guidelines align to our Valuing Nature Action Plan, which targets a 20% biodiversity net gain in major projects and a 10% expansion of green spaces by 2028. Enhancing green spaces not only promotes biodiversity but also makes the campus more inviting, encouraging walking and commuting on foot.
To further prioritise walking, we’ve developed self-guided walking tours, such as Historic Campus and Oxford Road Corridor tours, highlighting key sites and walkways. In our communications about getting to campus, we prioritize walking directions, making it the preferred mode of navigation.
We prioritise pedestrian access on campus. As specified in the Code of Practice for Design Teams:
- With the construction of a new building and/or public realm area, the access and routing of cyclists and pedestrians (many arriving by public transport) shall be given priority in order to provide an attractive option that highlights the importance placed on encouraging such travel behaviour.
- All pedestrian routes shall provide clear and consistent facilities to a building’s entrances.
- Any new pedestrian and cycle routes shall be linked up to any current or future provision (both University and ‘on highway’)
- Routes shall also consider the access from public transport facilities, such as bus stops and interchanges/stations.
- Designers shall consider how access from an interchange/station be improved by the design of the new building (e.g. entrance locations) and/or public realm facilities.
- Facilities shall be in-keeping with current provision but, where feasible, should look to further increase the attractiveness of public transport, walking and cycling.
This is evident in our most recent capital plan – the Fallowfield development.
Public access to our arts and heritage spaces
We provide free access to the public across all our buildings, monuments and natural heritage landscapes of cultural significance. Our ‘Open to the public‘ page showcases a range of our most significant University owned buildings and spaces the public can access for free.
Our University provides public access to our cultural institutions – museums, exhibition spaces and galleries. The public have free and automatic access to our Manchester Museum, The Whitworth art gallery and more.
We also provide public access to libraries including books and publications. The public have free and automatic access to our John Rylands Library. The public can also access our Race Relations Resource archive which we have located in the centre of Manchester.
Our Martin Harris Centre includes two major performance spaces: the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall and the John Thaw Studio Theatre, where we contribute to local arts by offering free performances in drama, literature, and music. Each year we deliver over 80 performances of drama, literature and music for the public. In 2022/23, we welcomed 722 members of the public to these free events.
We provide free public access to open spaces and green spaces. We have a range of outdoor green spaces which we encourage the public to visit and they can permanently access these free of charge. These include our tree trail, Brunswick Park, the University green, Alan Gilbert square and the Firs Botanical grounds.
Cultural heritage
We record and preserve local, national, and displaced community heritage. We operate the Race Relations Resource Centre, which documents and preserves the history of global majority communities in Greater Manchester, including anti-racist activism, refugeeism, migration, and evolving perspectives on race and ethnicity.
Our South Asia Gallery offers a contemporary, engaging look at South Asian and British Asian culture. It is the first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contributions of the South Asian diaspora, showcasing world-class material from the British Museum alongside the best of Manchester’s South Asian collections.
Through our Linguistic Diversity Collective, we collaborate with minority diaspora communities to document their languages. This initiative explores language use and acquisition in multilingual settings and contributes to language revitalisation and policy. For example, our ‘Multilingual World‘ podcast delves into multilingualism and linguistic diversity across the globe, inviting public engagement and promoting the preservation of displaced languages, such as those of refugee communities.
Local authority collaboration regarding planning and development
The University works with local authority collaboration regarding planning and development, ensuring local residents are able to access affordable housing. We work with Manchester City Council on the appropriate design, location and criteria for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) across our city, which factors in planning issues and development and the impact this has on affordable housing for non-student residents.
Our Global Development Institute and Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing have worked with local residents on a women-led social movement in a local housing association and tower block adjacent to our University to ensure its future affordability, viability and prosperity as the residents create a “naturally-occurring retirement village”.
The University of Manchester and Bruntwood SciTech, in close collaboration with Manchester City Council, are working on a joint venture, Sister. This project will transform the University’s former North Campus into a 4 million sq ft, globally competitive innovation district, elevating Manchester’s position as a national hub for science and technology. Our vision is for Sister to be internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading applied innovation districts. It will be home to the UK’s most exciting new ideas and disruptive technologies, with core specialisms in advanced materials, health innovation, digital technology, and biotech.
Located in the heart of the city, adjacent to Piccadilly Railway Station, the completed development will create over 10,000 new jobs and provide education, apprenticeship, and training opportunities for local communities. Sister also aims to deliver over 1,500 new homes, designed to meet the needs of a diverse range of people living, working, and studying in the city.
The University’s proposal to redevelop the Fallowfield campus, aimed at providing more high-quality, modern student accommodation, has been approved by the Manchester City Council’s Planning and Highways Committee.
Planning development – new build standards
We build new buildings to sustainable standards. We follow national BREEAM standards for new buildings and major refurbishments. A number of our capital projects have achieved BREEAM Excellent rating.
We have developed an additional bespoke standard working with our academic and professional services teams and set further targets during the construction phase to monitor environmental performance on site (page 7).
Our Code of Practice for Design Teams also outlines multiple requirements for project teams to design to sustainable standards, particularly sections 5, 6, 9 and 10. Our Environmental Sustainability strtaegy details our commitments in construction and refurbishment, with a focus on achieving zero carbon and minimizing other environmental impacts. These commitments include:
- Achieving a 20% biodiversity net gain on all major construction and refurbishment projects.
- Following Passivhaus principles—or the most appropriate, environmentally beneficial standard—in new buildings (when required).
- Minimizing construction and redevelopment waste by setting clear expectations with contractors and measuring impact throughout the process.
The University is committed to embedding environmental sustainability across all of its activities. This extends to the Campus Masterplan, which prioritises reducing detrimental environmental impacts and maximising positive impacts. All new-build and refurbishment projects will meet specific targets to ensure environmental sustainability is considered from the outset, throughout the project, and after completion.
Building on brownfield sites
Our Estates policies & strategies ensure the prioritisation of the development of new buildings on existing brownfield sites, thereby protecting green spaces, enhancing biodiversity, and improving flood resistance. This strategy is a core component of our Campus Masterplan, which not only focuses on current projects but also establishes future targets for sustainable development.
Recent examples of this approach include:
- Engineering Building (MECD): Constructed on the site of a former student residential development, ensuring efficient use of land and resources.
- Alan Gilbert Learning Commons: Built on a brownfield site, repurposing existing concrete infrastructure from a prior building.
- Old Quad (2024): A newly created greenspace located on an old carpark, which has increased local biodiversity by 80%.
The University is also a proud member of the Manchester Climate Change Partnership, which fosters collaboration among key Manchester based organizations to support various initiatives aimed at achieving the city’s carbon-neutral goals. One of these initiatives is the promotion of developing on brownfield sites, which helps reduce carbon emissions and minimize the environmental impact of new developments while effectively reusing land.
Additionally, we have recently entered into a new contract to build a solar farm on 175 acres of brownfield farmland, which will enable the university to source up to 65% of its electricity from renewable sources. The new site will also create a significant biodiversity net gain. With enhancements to the existing hedgerows and planting of native grassland and wildflower meadow beneath and around the solar arrays, the site will encourage nesting opportunities for wildlife and improved habitat connectivity.