Recognising the large role that the built environment sector has to play on green infrastructure (GI), The UK-GBC delivered a report in February 2015 entitled Demystifying green infrastructure. The report focused on defining the benefits of, and the business case for, GI. This ‘how to’ guide is a next step and focuses on the practical aspects of how to develop and implement a GI strategy on a project.

“Green infrastructure (GI) is a catch-all term to describe the network of natural and semi-natural features within and between our villages, towns and cities. These features range in scale, from street trees, green roofs and private gardens through to parks, rivers and woodlands. At the larger scale, wetlands, forests and agricultural land are all captured by the term GI.” Demystifying green infrastrcuture UK-GBC

Key tips before you get started

Define the business case for GI on your project (note the business case may vary per project or be dependent upon which stakeholder you are talking to). This involves assigning a value and payback period to the GI features

Put the strategy in place as early as possible in the project, this may end up saving you time and money

What has worked previously? – There are numerous resources and case studies that can help guide you through what has been done on similar projects, check Pinpoint for the latest information

Understand the policy landscape and the GI frameworks at an EU, national and local level

Don’t forget to value the existing resource that you have to work with

Size does not matter – GI can be enhanced on any site no matter how small

Source: www.ukgbc.org