Green-blue infrastructure for sustainable cities: Innovative socio-technical solutions bringing multifunctional value

Abstract

The new vision for surface/stormwater drainage systems, which is becoming de rigueur, is to use bluegreen infrastructure to deliver maximum benefits via modifying cities for the provision and control of water quantity, quality, amenity and biodiversity. Recently a new perspective has emerged to use nature in the context of performative infrastructure. The principles in achieving this new perspective are to use nature in cities at a range of scales to control the quantity; manage quality; provide water resources & prevent pollution and utilise the wider opportunities this brings to create and sustain better places for people and nature. The JPI URBAN EU 'Green/blue cities' project is developing new tools and techniques to ensure that multifunctional value is sought after and delivered by water related projects in the urban area. This requires the bringing together of urban design, planning and water sensitivity in a coherent approach that can be used by the main practitioners and decision makers. A framework to ensure this happens is presented and its' use in case study cities illustrated based on a flood resilience framework developed as part of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities in Australia and using nature as performative infrastructure.

Citation

Republished in part with permission from   Bacchin, T., Ashley, R., Blecken, G., Viklander, M. and Gersonius, B. (2016). Green-blue Infrastructure for Sustainable Cities: Innovative Socio-technical Solutions Bringing Multifunctional value. In: Novatech, 28 June – 1 July, Lyon, France.

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