More urban green spaces to fight climate change, government advisory body urges

CABE has launched the campaign, Grey to Green, in the run up to Copenhagen to fuel the debate that green infrastructure does not receive anything like the investment or management that goes into grey infrastructure.

CABE believes parks and gardens, waterways, allotments, tree-lined streets and green roofs provide a network of green resources and a green infrastructure that could potentially be a powerful tool to help towns and cities to adapt to climate change and improve public health. It describes green infrastructure as "a new milestone in the planning and design of urban communities. A place where we start to co-exist with the natural environment instead of developing in conflict with it."

CABE argues that a shift is needed in public spending from grey projects, like road building and heavy engineering projects, to green schemes, like street trees, parks, green roofs and waterways. At present, for instance, flood protection requires super-sized storm water pipes. But a combination of living roofs, large trees and soft landscaping can absorb heavy rainfall, store and recycle it for summer irrigation.

Green infrastructure can also save energy through roof insulation' can provide shade for offices to cut the need for air conditioning' and can make cities more beautiful, so encouraging exercise and improving public health.

Figures produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers show how a shift in spending from grey to green of just 0.5 per cent could increase investment in urban green space by 141 per cent.

Richard Simmons, chief executive of CABE, commented: “Green infrastructure is at the heart of this co-existence.By this we mean a network of living green spaces. These natural assets do not receive anything like the investment or management that go into the road network or sewerage system. We do need grey infrastructure, of course. But there is a glaring imbalance in the funding and skills available to each – which is the reason for our campaign.”

CABE is asking for a national
Green Infrastructure taskforce to be set up and for local government to be given better skills to design and manage green infrastructure. It is also calling for each local authority top appoint a 'City Gardener'

“At CABE, we think an understanding of green infrastructure should be woven into every aspect of public services, from education to development control; from transportation to environmental health. A decade ago the urban taskforce was established to guide and champion an urban renaissance. It is now time to convene a green infrastructure taskforce, to galvanise us all to create great green places,” said Simmons,.