Green infrastructure

Green Infrastructure is a concept originating in the United States in the mid-1990's that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land use planning. [The Conservation Fund, Arlington, VA. [http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/ Green Infrastucture] ] [Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis, MD. [http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/gi/gidoc/gidoc.html "Maryland's Green Infrastructure Assessment: A Comprehensive Strategy for Land Conservation and Restoration."] May 2003.] In particular there is an emphasis on the "life support" functions provided by the natural environment for example; clean water and healthy soils, as well as the more anthropocentric functions such as recreation and providing shade and shelter in and around towns and cities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extended the concept to apply to the management of stormwater runoff at the local level through the use of natural systems, or engineered systems that mimic natural systems, to treat polluted runoff. [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, et al, [http://www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/gi_intentstatement.pdf "Green Infrastructure Statement of Intent"] April 19, 2007.]

The Green Infrastructure approach analyses the natural environment in a way that highlights its function and subsequently seeks to put in place, through regulatory or planning policy, mechanisms that safeguard critical natural areas. Where life support functions are found to be lacking, plans may propose how these can be put in place through landscaped and/or engineered improvements. [ "Green Infrastructure, Linking Landscapes and Communities by Mark Benedict and Edward T. McMahon" http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=2xTJvYqzFNkC&dq=green+infrastructure+McMahon&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=3lScdISNRt&sig=p7e_ZLsXRKVC77WYtzneB7JNN0A&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result ] The term "green infrastructure" is sometimes expanded to "multifunctional" green infrastructure. Multifunctionality in this context refers to the integration and interaction of different functions or activities on the same piece of land. This is key to the efficient and sustainable use of land, especially in a small and crowded country like England where pressures on land are particularly acute. An example might be an urban edge river flood plain which provides a repository for flood waters, acts as a nature reserve, provides a recreational green space and could also be productively farmed (probably through grazing).

In the United Kingdom, Green Infrastructure planning is increasingly recognised as a valuable approach for spatial planning and is now seen in national, regional and local planning and policy documents and strategies, for example in the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth area. [Environment Agency, Bristol, UK. [http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/regions/anglian/484767/1118553/?lang=_e Green Infrastructure Guide] ]

In North West England the "Draft Regional Spatial Strategy" [North West Regional Assembly, Wigan , UK. [http://rpg.nwra.gov.uk/uploads/rpg_docs/rp_kMqZ_Submitted_Draft_Regional_Spati.pdf The North West Plan: Submitted Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West of England] . January 2006.] has a specific Green Infrastructure Policy (EM3 - Green Infrastucture) as well as other references to the concept in other land use development policies (e.g. DP6).Fact|date=November 2007 The policy is supported by the [http://www.greeninfrastructurenw.co.uk/resources/GI_Giude_Sept_07.pdf North West Green Infrastructure Guide (September 2007)] . The Green Infrastructure Think Tank (GrITT) provides the support for policy development in the region and manages the web site that acts as a repository for information on Green Infrastructure. [Green Infrastructure Think Tank, Warrington, UK. [http://www.greeninfrastructurenw.org.uk Green Infrastructure North West] ]

The continued development of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and their increasing level of use is particularly important in the development of Green Infrastructure plans. The plans frequently are based on GIS anaysis of many layers of geographic information.

References

ee also

*Low impact development
*Sustainable urban drainage systems

External links

* [http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/gi_case_studies Green Infrastructure Case Studies] The Conservation Fund
* [http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=298 Green Infrastructure - Stormwater Management] US EPA Water Program
* [http://www.dnr.state.md.us/greenways/gi/gi.html Maryland's Green Infrastructure] - Maryland Department of Natural Resources
* [http://www.pima.gov/sdcp/ Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan] Pima County, Arizona
* [http://www.greeninfrastructurewiki.com Green Infrastructure Wiki]
* [http://www.lowimpactdevelopment.org Low Impact Development] - The Low Impact Development Center