Landscape Institute and Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure position statement

A free download of the LI’s policy document: Green Infrastructure: connected and multifunctional landscapes.

It outlines the central principles behind the “green infrastructure” (GI) concept, and the associated environmental, social and economic benefits.

It illustrates these with a series of case studies:

• The Newlands, Mersey Forest and Weaver Valley Initiative
• Crewe Business Park
• Ingrebourne Hill in London
• The River Ray Corridor in Swindon
• The Royal Parks in London

The document also tries to pin down some of the terminology (page 4):

“Connectivity – Connectivity between different GI assets will help maximise the benefits that they generate. This connectivity can be visual or notional; however physical connections make the most impact. This connectivity can enhance public engagement with the natural environment, improve opportunities for biodiversity migration and assist in encouraging sustainable forms of travel.”

“Multifunctionality – Understanding multifunctionality is central to the GI approach to land use planning. Where land performs a range of functions it affords a far greater range of social, environmental and economic benefits than might otherwise be delivered.”

ESI references:

• Landscape architects

Playgrounds: risk and freedom

Balancing risk and freedom

What level of risk is acceptable in children’s health and safety?

‘The balance between allowing children to play unhindered and wrapping them in cotton wool has been struck in some public playgrounds’ claims an interesting article in the Times Educational Supplement on freedom, risk and children’s playgrounds.

It also references examples of playground design from Stirling where safer surfacing and fences have been dispensed with in order to encourage exploration and further learning opportunities.

ESI references:

• Play equipment

Parks and happy people

How and why should green spaces feature in urban design?

The Dirt draws together a number of posts that look at the beneficial effects of nature on mood, behaviour, community relationships, and rehabilitation.

It quotes a University of Rochester study: “Incorporating parks and other representations of nature into urban environments may help build a stronger sense of community among residents”.

ESI references:

• Trees and shrubs
• Urban design

Avoiding common mistakes in the design of streetscapes and public areas

Getting it right is important

The London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames’s Public Space Design Guide’ gives an interesting summary of good practice in the field. It provides clear, concise guidance on a number of areas including paving, signage, lighting and green areas.

Consider for example the main considerations for public furniture.

1. Choose street furniture to relate to its location and local distinctiveness, and reinforce a sense of place
2. Different items of street furniture should relate to each other in terms of design, siting and colour
3. Avoid causing clutter
4. Reduce to a minimum ‘defensive’ street furniture such as railings and bollards
5. Retain and refurbish distinctive historic elements of street furniture, such as telephone boxes and milestones.

Simple and obvious.

Here’s to every scheme that achieves these.

ESI references:

• Public seating
• Bollards
• Cycle parking
• Railings

LDT backs SUDS standards

Sustainable drainage systems

The Landscape Design Trust has announced plans to give training on forthcoming national SUDS standards.

Defra and the Welsh Government Assembly are preparing the standards to encourage the use of sustainable drainage systems in new-build and redevelopment projects.

Saying that uptake so far has been ‘disappointingly slow’, the LDT – working with the Landscape Institute and the Environment Agency – now intends to offer direct help to local authorities and designers that want to use SUDS technologies and principles.

ESI references:

• Sustainable drainage systems

The secret history of bollards

Furnitubes CAN 500 Cannon cast iron bollard

Inspired by a local meeting of the National Trust, the Whitby Gazette ‘Society Spot’ looks at the origins of traditional street furniture designs in recycled masonry and re-purposed 18th century cannon barrels.

ESI references:

• Bollards

Cycle sense

When cycle lanes go wrong

Could ‘Crap Cycle Lanes’ be the ideal stocking filler for the landscape planner in your life?

More seriously, Kim Harding examines the shortage of cycle parking in Edinburgh and considers policy options which could improve the provision of cycle parking.

And for those wanting a technological solution there’s the bicycle parking tower from Japan and the Biceberg from Spain.

At an all together simpler level the Cambridge Cycling Campaign offers ‘How to provide Cycle Parking – a step-by-step guide for planners and providers’, focusing mainly on Sheffield-type stands.

Water in Chicago – 2106 – a sustainable future

UrbanLab - 'growing water' in Chicago

UrbanLab presents ‘growing water’, a sustainable vision of how Chicago could develop a more holistic relationship with water, which is what, UrbanLab argues, will become the world’s most precious resource within the next hundred years.

Can Chicago recycle and retain its water resources, instead of constantly depleting them?

ESI references:

• Stormwater management
• Wetlands

Simon Schama on public realm buildings

Simon Schama (photo by Haraala Hamilton)

Historian Simon Schama tackles the subject of public space investment is his lecture, ‘a crisis too big to waste’.

Marking the occasion of CABE’s 10th anniversary, he talks in detail about the potential for public-spirited spending in times of financial difficulty.

Drawing parallels between the current economic environment and the 1825 crash, he gives examples of public realm building projects in London during both periods: the London sewers, city gas lighting and Hampstead Heath then, and Battersea Power Station, St Pancras and the buildings of the 2012 Olympics now.

ESI references:

• Landscape architecture

Defra on Saving our Soils

A Defra study has highlighted the dangers posed by general degradation of soil quality in England.

It explores the potential impact on agriculture and food growth, and on flood alleviation.

Its proposals would affect the construction industry by regulating handling and removal of soil from land under development for housing and infrastructure. At the same time, the agricultural industrial will be required to change its approach to fertiliser use.

ESI references:

• Soil
• Soil conditioners
• Soil science