Green Infrastructure

INFRASTRUCTURE

Recorded by Sofie Pelsmakers, images by Essi Nisonen

KEY READINGS 

• Urban Microclimate: Designing the spaces between buildings, Erell et al., Earthscan, London

• Everything needs to Change: Architecture and the climate emergency. RIBA Design Studio Volume 1, Sofie Pelsmakers, Nick Newman. RIBA.

• Designing for Biodiversity – a technical guide for new and existing buildings, Gunnell, Murphy, Williams, RIBA Publishing

• Environmental Planning for Site development, Beer and Higgins, Taylor and Francis

• Sustainable Urban Design, An Environmental Approach, Thomas, Spon

• Designing for the Climate Emergency, a Guide for Architecture Students, Pelsmakers, S., Donovan, E., Hoggard, A., Kozminska, U., RIBA

INSPIRATIONAL BUILT EXAMPLES

• GrowNYC Teaching Garden, Governors Island, New York City, USA

• Hammarby Sjœstad, Stockholm, Sweden

• Nomadisch Grün –Prinzessinnengarten, Berlin, Germany

• Pangyo New City, Seongnam, Republic of Korea

• Vauban, Freiburg, Germany

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Green infrastructure is the network of natural green spaces and landscapes within and around urban environments, such as food-growing areas, wetlands, forests, parks and wildlife gardens. Green infrastructure supports biodiversity, enhances ecosystem health, absorbs CO2 and manages adaptations to a changing climate (e.g. flood prevention and overheating). Co-benefits are supporting social activity and human well-being. Your project must tread lightly: after all, placing a new structure is hugely disruptive, as the developed land will have lost its existing ecological value forever. Your choice of site is therefore vital and value and protect existing natural habitats and leave the place better than it was before (i.e. retorative action). To do that, create a green infrastructure plan for your project that identifies and creates a map of the potential impact of your design on existing green infrastructure and on stakeholders and propose remedial measures to ensure a restorative approach. Distribute green spaces of different scales and diversity throughout the city within short walking distances and connect wildlife habitats through parks with green corridors and pedestrian spaces. Prioritise views of nature and trees, integrating generous physical access to different kinds and scales of nature for human and non-humans.