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80-585: Green Investment Group Limited ( GIG ), formerly the UK Green Investment Bank , is a specialist in green infrastructure principal investment, project delivery and the management of portfolio assets and related services. It is owned by the Macquarie Group . The business was launched initially by the UK government in 2012 as the first institution of its type in the world. The organisation

160-565: A climate justice issue. In 2009 they successfully campaigned to stop new coal-fired power stations in Kingsnorth, Kent and Hunterston in Ayrshire because the organisation considered any plans for new coal-fired power stations to be incompatible with plans to tackle climate change. From 2010 Global Justice Now ran a campaign on climate debt opposing the UK government's plans to give money in

240-533: A bit rich to call [the GIB] a green investment bank if it can neither borrow nor lend". Lucas argued that without these powers, "it would be a fund – that is, a pot of money that, once used up, is gone forever.". Criticism also centred on the location of the institution. Bloomberg claimed that "Most of the 50- 70 jobs will initially be in London..." and some questioned that the decision to locate many jobs in London, despite

320-461: A city self-sustaining particularly with regard to water, for example, to harvest water locally, recycle it, re-use it and integrate stormwater management into everyday infrastructure. The multi-functionality of this approach is key to the efficient and sustainable use of land, especially in a compact and bustling country such as England where pressures on land are particularly acute. An example might be an urban edge river floodplain which provides

400-403: A component of " sustainable drainage systems " or " sustainable urban drainage systems " (SuDS or SUDS) designed to manage water quantity and quality, while providing improvements to biodiversity and amenity. Nature can be used to provide important services for communities by protecting them against flooding or excessive heat, or helping to improve air , soil and water quality . When nature

480-547: A design aspect, giving nature a space among the public. A common urban habitat, the lawn, consists of short grass and sometimes herbaceous plants. While modern artificial lawns have been connected to a negative environmental impact, lawns in the past have been more sustainable, and they promoted biodiversity and the growth of native plants. These historical lawns are impacting lawn design today to create more sustainable ‘alternative lawns’. In Medieval Europe, lawns rich with flowers and herbaceous plants known as ‘flower meads’ are

560-439: A form of stormwater management using water capture. Rain gardens are shallow depressed areas in the landscape, planted with shrubs and plants that are used to collect rainwater from roofs or pavement and allows for the stormwater to slowly infiltrate into the ground. Ubiquitous lawn grass is not a solution for controlling runoff, so an alternative is required to reduce urban and suburban first flush (highly toxic) runoff and to slow

640-560: A former adviser to the government, Jonathon Porritt , who had been head of the Sustainable Development Commission , publicly criticised the Coalition's scrapping of a planned rise in aviation tax, its watering down of schemes that promote small-scale renewable electricity and its failure to promote a "green investment bank" with immediate borrowing powers. Mr Porritt claimed he examined 75 policies on which

720-456: A further £15 billion of private investment". The same day, BIS, in a press release containing answers to "frequently asked questions" about the bank, outlined the planned finances of the GIB and its activation in "three phases": Dr Cable unveiled on the same day his department's statement of vision for the bank. The document was cautiously positive about the prospects of private investment in

800-717: A good example of a more sustainable lawn. Since then, this idea has been used. In the Edwardian Era, lawns full of thyme, whose flowers attracted insects and pollinators, created biodiversity. A 20th century take on this lawn, the ‘enamelled mead’, has been used in England, and has the purpose of both aesthetics and for stormwater management. During the height of the Renaissance, public areas became more common in new cities and infrastructure. These areas were carefully selected and would often be urban parks and gardens for

880-535: A lily pond, and pedestrian paths. Proximity and access to water have been key factors in human settlement through history. Water, along with the spaces around it, create a potential for transport, trade, and power generation. They also provide the human population with resources like recreation and tourism in addition to drinking water and food. Many of the world's largest cities are located near water sources, and networks of urban "blue infrastructure", such as canals, harbors and so forth, have been constructed to capture

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960-919: A minute into the sewer system, which increases the risk of basement backups and sewer overflows. In attempts to reduce the amount of rainwater that enters the combined sewer systems, agencies such as the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District amended regulations that require downspout disconnection at residential areas. Bioswales are stormwater runoff systems providing an alternative to traditional storm sewers . Much like rain gardens, bioswales are vegetated or mulched channels commonly placed in long narrow spaces in urban areas. They absorb flows or carry stormwater runoff from heavy rains into sewer channels or directly to surface waters. Vegetated bioswales infiltrate, slow down, and filter stormwater flows that are most beneficial along streets and parking lots. The Trust for Public Land

1040-436: A number of projects, commissioned by The Mersey Forest to develop the evidence base for green infrastructure in the region. In particular work has been undertaken to look at the economic value of green infrastructure, the linkage between grey and green infrastructure and also to identify areas where green infrastructure may play critical role in helping to overcome issues such as risks of flood or poor air quality. In March 2011,

1120-575: A park,” and stated the “importance of preserving some portions of nature herself unimpaired.” Frederick Law Olmsted , a landscape architect, agreed with these ideas and planned many parks, areas of preserved land, and scenic roads, and in 1887, the Emerald Necklace of Boston . The Emerald Necklace is a system of public parks linked by parkways that serves as a home to diverse wildlife and provides environmental benefits such as flood protection and water storage. In Europe, Ebenezer Howard led

1200-422: A potential solution for the stormwater management in highly concentrated urban areas. The social benefit of green roofs is the rooftop agriculture for the residents. Green roofs also sequester rain and carbon pollution. Forty to eighty percent of the total volume of rain that falls on green roofs are able to be reserved. The water released from the roofs flow at a slow pace, reducing the amount of runoff entering

1280-833: A prototype Green Infrastructure Valuation Toolkit was launched. The Toolkit is available under a Creative Commons license, and provides a range of tools that provide economic valuation of green infrastructure interventions. The toolkit has been trialled in a number of areas and strategies, including the Liverpool Green Infrastructure Strategy. In 2012, the Greater London Authority published the All London Green Grid Supplementary Planning Guidance (ALGG SPG) which proposes an integrated network of green and open spaces together with

1360-567: A repository for flood waters, acts as a nature reserve , provides a recreational green space and could also be productively farmed (probably through grazing). There is growing evidence that the natural environment also has a positive effect on human health. 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

1440-581: A specific Green Infrastructure Policy (EM3 – Green Infrastructure) as well as other references to the concept in other land use development policies (e.g. DP6). The policy was supported by the North West Green Infrastructure Guide. 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. The Natural Economy Northwest programme has supported

1520-635: A supplemental component to other related concepts, and ultimately provides an ecological framework for social, economic, and environmental health of the surroundings. "Blue infrastructure" refers to urban infrastructure relating to water. Blue infrastructure is commonly associated with green infrastructure in urban environments and may be referred to as "blue-green infrastructure" when being viewed in combination. Rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes may exist as natural features within cities, or be added to an urban environment as an aspect of its design. Coastal urban developments may also utilize pre-existing features of

1600-637: A sustainable lawn that showcased natural beauty in suburban areas. These gardens, dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), were designed to allow native plant species to thrive in their natural conditions and appear untouched by humans. This created ecological havens within the city. Greece was an early adopter of the concept of green Infrastructure with the invention of Greek agora . Agoras were meeting spaces that were built for social conversations and allowed Greeks to converse in public. Many were built across Greece, and some incorporated nature as

1680-679: A symbol of power and achievement amongst French royalty and the common people at the time. Keeping and making cities green were at the forefront for city planners in France. They often incorporated design elements blending urbanism and nature, forming a relationship that showcased how the French grew alongside nature and often made it a key aspect of their expansion. In 18th century France, citizens were able to request to have old and battered city walls destroyed to make room for new gardens, vegetation sites, and green walkways. This opened up new areas to

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1760-556: Is aimed at attempting to demonstrate how corporation power, supported by governments, has an adverse effect on those living in poverty. Its aims are: Global Justice Now has a network of local groups as well as individual members, and an office in Edinburgh from which Global Justice Scotland is run. It participates in international networks such as the Our World is Not for Sale network on trade and corporate globalisation , and

1840-413: Is harnessed by people and used as an infrastructural system it is called “green infrastructure”. Many such efforts take as their model prairies, where absorbent soil prevents runoff and vegetation filters out pollutants. Green infrastructure occurs at all scales. It is most often associated with green stormwater management systems , which are smart and cost-effective. However, green infrastructure acts as

1920-458: 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. The EPA extended the concept of “green infrastructure” 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 . This use of

2000-529: Is working in partnership with the City of Los Angeles' Community Redevelopment Agency, Bureau of Sanitation, the University of Southern California 's Center for Sustainable Cities, and Jefferson High School by converting the existing 900 miles of alleys in the city to green alleys. The concept is to re-engineer existing alleyways to reflect more light to mitigate heat island effect, capture storm water, and make

2080-659: The Fairtrade Foundation in 1992, Jubilee 2000 in 1997, the Trade Justice Movement in 2000, and the 2005 anti-poverty mobilisation Make Poverty History . In late 2006, Global Justice Now moved its London offices from Brixton to new premises at 66 Offley Road in Kennington, London. On 1 January 2015 the organisation was renamed to Global Justice Now as part of a wider relaunch. Global Justice Now successfully campaigned against TTIP ,

2160-480: The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Growth area. In 2009, guidance on green infrastructure planning was published by Natural England. This guidance promotes the importance of green infrastructure in 'place-making', i.e. in recognizing and maintaining the character of a particular location, especially where new developments are planned. In North West England the former Regional Spatial Strategy had

2240-533: The World Social Forum . Global Justice Now has an associated charity , Global Justice Now Trust , which funds Global Justice Now’s charitable activities. Global Justice Now started in 1969 as ' Action for World Development ' (AWD). Many people were involved in collecting one million signatures on a petition about world development and had seen the need for political campaigning which charity law restricted development charities from undertaking. AWD

2320-438: The 17th century that involved incorporating nature in some shape or form. Another example would be the use of promenades that were used by the French elites to flee the unhealthy living conditions of the cities and to avoid the filthy public areas available to the common folks. These areas were lush gardens that had a wide variety of vegetation and foliage that kept the air clean for the wealthy while allowing them to relax away from

2400-547: The 20th century where efforts in green infrastructure were seen in industrial parks, integrated landscaping, and suburban gardens. The Anaconda Copper Mining Company was responsible for environmental damage in Montana, but a refinery in Great Falls saw this impact and used the surrounding land to create a green open space that was also used for recreation. This natural haven included a golf course, flower beds, picnic areas,

2480-760: The 5 boroughs in New York. Existing asphalt school yards are converted to a more vibrant and exciting place while also incorporating infrastructure to capture and store rainwater: rain garden, rain barrel, tree groves with pervious pavers, and an artificial field with a turf base. The children are engaged in the design process, lending to a sense of ownership and encourages children to take better care of their school yard. Success in New York has allowed other cities like Philadelphia and Oakland to also convert to green school yards. Low-impact development (also referred to as green stormwater infrastructure) are systems and practices that use or mimic natural processes that result in

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2560-515: The Act committed the UK to generating a significantly higher percentage of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. A non-partisan, House of Commons committee on climate change was established to study and recommend ways of meeting the country's obligations. The committee reported that for a new, low-carbon business and government infrastructure to be established, the necessary investment would range between £200 billion and £1 trillion over

2640-571: The Blue Ribbon Network of rivers and waterways. The ALGG SPG aims to promote the concept of green infrastructure, and increase its delivery by boroughs, developers, and communities, to benefit areas such as sustainable travel, flood management, healthy living and the economic and social uplift these support. Green Infrastructure is being promoted as an effective and efficient response to projected climate change. World Development Movement Global Justice Now , formerly known as

2720-729: The Coalition's plans for a low-carbon economy". On 25 May 2012, Lord Smith of Kelvin was announced as the first Chair of the bank by Vince Cable. Shaun Kingsbury was the bank's chief executive from October 2012 to 2017. Green infrastructure Green infrastructure is considered a subset of "Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure", which is defined in standards such as SuRe , the Standard for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure. However, green infrastructure can also mean "low-carbon infrastructure" such as renewable energy infrastructure and public transportation systems (See "low-carbon infrastructure"). Blue-green infrastructure can also be

2800-473: The Treasury should consider is the cost of failure to unleash this institution's massive potential to re-power our economy." Environmentalists engaged in public demonstrations demanding a quicker implementation of the plans. However, non-government organisations and environmentalists criticised the scheme because it lacked ambition. The World Development Movement disputed that such a small scheme will attract

2880-842: The U.S. Clean Water Act introduced new provisions for management of diffuse pollutant sources from urban land uses, establishing the regulatory need for practices that unlike conventional drainage infrastructure managed runoff "at source." The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published its initial regulations for municipal separate storm sewer systems ("MS4") in 1990, requiring large MS4s to develop stormwater pollution prevention plans and implement "source control practices". EPA's 1993 handbook, Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention and Control Planning , identified best management practices to consider in such plans, including vegetative controls, filtration practices and infiltration practices (trenches, porous pavement). Regulations covering smaller municipalities were published in 1999. MS4s serve over 80% of

2960-600: The US population and provide drainage for 4% of the land area. Green infrastructure is a concept that highlights the importance of the natural environment in decisions about land-use planning . However, the term does not have a widely recognized definition. Also known as “blue-green infrastructure”, or “green-blue urban grids” the terms are used by many design-, conservation- and planning-related disciplines and commonly feature stormwater management, climate adaptation and multifunctional green space. The term "green infrastructure"

3040-795: The United Nations declared that access to clean water and sanitation is a human right. New solutions for improving the sustainability of cities are being explored. Good urban water management is complex and requires not only water and wastewater infrastructure, but also pollution control and flood prevention. It requires coordination across many sectors, and between different local authorities and changes in governance, that lead to more sustainable and equitable use of urban water resources. Urban forests are forests located in cities. They are an important component of urban green infrastructure systems. Urban forests use appropriate tree and vegetation species, instead of noxious and invasive kinds, which reduce

3120-605: The World Development Movement (WDM), is a membership organisation based in the United Kingdom which campaigns on issues of global justice and development in the Global South . The organisation produces research on topics on the developing world and free trade. Examples include their work against trade deals such as TTIP , or highlighting how UK aid has been used. Much of their research

3200-649: The announcement headline of Edinburgh being chosen as winner of the location contest, pointed to a "bid to defuse Scottish independence... a blatant move to unite the capitals over Alex Salmond's key policy." On 23 May 2011, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg at a speech at Climate Change Capital stated that the Green Investment Bank "will begin operating in April 2012", adding that the bank's early targets would be "offshore wind, waste and non-domestic energy efficiency". Clegg added that legislation would "ensure

3280-552: The bank was granted by the EU Commission on 17 October 2012, allowing the bank to become fully established. The bank was subsequently formally launched in Edinburgh by Vince Cable on 28 November 2012. In June 2015 the Business Secretary Sajid Javid put forward proposals to part- privatise the bank, with the stated aim of giving it full access to the capital markets . On 18 August 2017 the bank

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3360-831: The benefits and minimize risks. Globally, cities are facing severe water uncertainties such as floods, droughts, and upstream activities on trans-boundary rivers. The increasing pressure, intensity, and speed of urbanization has led to the disappearance of any visible form of water infrastructure in most cities. Urban coastal populations are growing, and many cities have seen an extensive post-industrial transformation of canals, riversides, docks, etc. following changes in global trading patterns. The potential implications of such waterside regeneration in terms of public health have only recently been scientifically investigated. A systematic review conducted in 2017 found consistent evidence of positive associations between exposure of people to blue space and mental health and physical activity. One-fifth of

3440-419: The building level, the term "blue-green architecture" is used, which implements the same principles on a smaller scale. The focus here is on building greening with water management from alternative water resources such as grey water and rainwater. Green Infrastructure as a term did not appear until the early 1990s, although ideas of Green Infrastructure had been used long before that. The first coined use of

3520-426: The city landscape and incorporated greenery into the new areas where the walls were torn down. Along with this, the town hall as well as the city center were elaborately decorated with different types of vegetation and trees, especially rare and unique species that had been brought from other countries. Mathis goes on to state, "A French-style garden is linked to the town hall to make the view of it more sublime", showing

3600-446: The coastline specifically employed in their design. Harbours, quays, piers, and other extensions of the urban environment are also often added to capture benefits associated with the marine environment. Blue infrastructure can support unique aquatic biodiversity in urban areas, including aquatic insects, amphibians, and water birds. There may considerable co-benefits to the health and wellbeing of populations with access to blue spaces in

3680-423: The contract with G4S Utility Services in 2014 and then reneged on his promise when Ecotricity announced it had renewed its contract with G4S Utility Services for another four-year period from January 2016 to December 2020. Global Justice Now ended its partnership with Ecotricity in early 2016, following a review over concerns about their association with G4S. The organisation gave assurances that their partnership

3760-529: The countries they operate in. Furthermore, Ecotricity employ G4S Utility Services for their meter reading services, a subsidiary of controversial multinational G4S that is widely reported to be involved in widespread human rights abuses. As a social justice organisation Global Justice Now were criticised for indirectly aiding and abetting human rights abuses as a result of their continued relationship with Ecotricity. In response to complaints about Ecotricity's use of G4S, Dale Vince gave assurances that he would end

3840-615: The creation of a Green Investment Bank. The government expected to obtain by early 2013 the European Commission's approval for state aid to the Bank, with investment in green projects estimated to begin by April 2012. The plans for the environmental funding scheme were endorsed by Greenpeace , whose executive director urged the prime minister to "get personally involved", as well as by a number of similar organisations, such as Transform UK , whose director stated that "the only cost

3920-534: The drastic reduction of Britain's debt and yearly deficits. Accordingly, the government sought to create a financing scheme for the environmental investment needs of the country that would be funded mainly by the private sector, including the banks. In June 2010 the Green Investment Bank Commission, established by George Osborne in opposition, after holding hearings recommended that the government created an eponymous banking entity within

4000-546: The environment in the UK. BIS appeared to indicate on 12 December 2011 that the 'Incubation' phase had progressed, with the announcement of a new team within the department: UK Green Investments (UKGI). It stated the team's role was to "drive investment in the UK’s green infrastructure until the Green Investment Bank is formally established". Initially the UKGI team consisted of six members: five men and one woman. State aid approval for

4080-582: The existing soil to reduce runoff and let rainfall enter the natural water cycle . 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. Within an urban context, this can be applied to re-introducing natural waterways and making

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4160-520: The first mention of a "green investment bank" scheme, earmarked with £2 billion. Chancellor Alistair Darling stated that the Labour government was committed "to support offshore wind energy" and other forms of alternative energy, which he also billed as "crucial to guiding the country out of recession ". After the 2010 general election , the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government defined its primary economic objective to be

4240-618: The form of climate loans to already heavily indebted poor countries in the global South. Global Justice Now entered into a controversial partnership agreement with Ecotricity from which they benefit financially whereby supporters who switch their energy supply to Ecotricity, leads to a payment of up to £60 to Global Justice Now. The owner of Ecotricity, Dale Vince is reported to employ aggressive tax avoidance strategies to minimise his tax obligations. This directly conflicts with Global Justice Now's Tax Justice campaigns to hold corporations to account so they pay their fair share of tax in

4320-442: The garden city movement to balance development with nature. He planned agricultural greenbelts and wide, radiating boulevards surrounded by trees and shrubbery for Victoria, England. One of Howard's concepts was of the "marriage of town and country" to promote sustainable relationships between human society and nature through the planning of garden cities. The US government became more involved in conservation and land preservation in

4400-527: The government had committed itself, finding little or no progress in 55. The government responded that it remains "committed to the environment", but claimed that the economic recession had affected environmental policies. The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales (and MP for Brighton Pavilion ) Caroline Lucas , criticised the nomenclature of the GIB in January 2011, when she wrote that "It's

4480-476: The independence of the institution." On 24 May 2011, Business Secretary Vince Cable , in addressing the parliament, stated that the bank will become "a key component" of the transition to a " low-carbon economy ", which will need "significant investment over the coming decades." Cable also stated that the GIB will have an initial capitalisation of £3 billion, which "the Government believes will leverage

4560-441: The infiltration, evapotranspiration or use of stormwater in order to protect water quality and associated aquatic habitat. LID practices aim to preserve, restore and create green space using soils, vegetation, and rainwater harvest techniques. It is an approach to land development (or re-development) that works with nature to manage stormwater as close to its source as possible. Many low impact development tools integrate vegetation or

4640-408: The kind of investment needed to "generate green jobs, green industry and a green economy in the UK". An economic study commissioned by WDM and Platform recommended that, instead of creating a new "banking scheme", the government should "transform the [already] publicly-owned Royal Bank of Scotland into a powerful green investment bank", in the process also "creating 50,000 green jobs". In May 2011,

4720-542: The late 1800s. This was seen in the 1864 legislation to preserve the Yosemite Valley as a California public park, and 8 years later, the United States’ first national park. Many industrial leaders in the 19th century had the goal of increasing worker's quality of life through quality sanitation and outdoor activity, which would in turn create increased productivity in the workforce. These ideas carried into

4800-772: The need of maintenance and irrigation. In addition, native species also provide aesthetic value while reducing cost. Diversity of plant species should also be considered in design of urban forests to avoid monocultures ; this makes the urban forests more durable and resilient to pests and other harms. Constructed wetlands are manmade wetlands , which work as a bio-filtration system. They contain wetland vegetation and are mostly built on uplands and floodplains . Constructed wetlands are built this way to avoid connection or damage to natural wetlands and other aquatic resources. There are two main categories of constructed wetlands: subsurface flow system and free water surface system. Proper planning and operating can help avoid possible harm done to

4880-526: The next two decades. The committee further stated that since traditional sources of capital for investment in green infrastructure could not provide even half that amount by 2025, there would be a funding gap that needed to be covered by the state budget. In 2009, two reports were published advocating the creation of a state-backed infrastructure bank to provide financing to green projects. The first, entitled "Accelerating Green Infrastructure Financing: Outline proposals for UK green bonds and infrastructure bank"

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4960-634: The poorer members of French society. Again, Mathis goes on to state, "The first cours [or promenades] were established in the capital at the instigation of Marie de Medici : the Mail de l'Arsenal (1604) and above all the Allée du Cours-la-Reine (1616), 1300 mètres long and lined with elms, running along the Seine, from the Tuileries Garden to the high ground of Chaillot," establishing the use of nature as

5040-619: The proposed free trade agreement between the European Union and the United States . It argued that safety regulations, workers’ rights, environmental protection rules and food standards regulations were all threatened by TTIP. TTIP negotiations petered out in October 2016 and the whole project was shelved. This allowed Global Justice Now to claim a significant campaign victory. Global Justice Now considers climate change to be

5120-559: The public to converse and relax at. Other than social uses, urban parks and gardens were used to improve the aesthetic of the urban environment they were present in. Urban spaces had environmental uses for the implementation of fresh air and reduced urban heating. Green Infrastructure can be traced as far back as the 17th century in European society beginning in France. France used the presence of nature to provide social and spatial organization to their towns. Originally, nature in cities

5200-417: The space beautiful and usable by the neighboring communities. The first alley, completed in 2015, saved more than 750,000 gallons in its first year. The Green alleys will provide open space on top of these ecological benefits, converting spaces which used to feel unsafe, or used for dumping into a playground, and walking/biking corridor. The Trust for Public Land has completed 183 green school yards across

5280-440: The term "green infrastructure" to refer to urban "green" best management practices contributes to the overall health of natural ecosystems, even though it is not central to the larger concept. However, it is apparent that the term “blue-green infrastructure” is applied in an urban context and places a greater emphasis on the management of stormwater as an integral part of creating a sustainable, multifunctional urban environment. At

5360-565: The term was seen in a 1994 report by Buddy MacKay, chair of the Florida Greenways Commission, to Florida governor Lawton Chiles about a Green Infrastructure project undertaken in 1991: Florida Greenways Project. MacKay states, "Just as we carefully plan the infrastructure our communities need to support the people who live there—the roads, water and electricity—so must we begin to plan and manage Florida’s green infrastructure”. Chinese literary gardens are an example of

5440-613: The urban context. Accessible blue infrastructure in urban areas is also referred as to blue spaces . Ideas for green urban structures began in the 1870s with concepts of urban farming and garden allotments. Alternative terminology includes stormwater best management practices , source controls, and low impact development (LID) practices. Green infrastructure concepts originated in mid-1980s proposals for best management practices that would achieve more holistic stormwater quantity management goals for runoff volume reduction, erosion prevention, and aquifer recharge. In 1987, amendments to

5520-447: The use of foliage as a way to impress and beautify French cities. In 1847, a speech by George Perkins Marsh called attention to negative human impacts such as deforestation. Marsh later wrote Man and Nature in 1864 based on his idea for conserving forests. Around the same time, Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book Walden discussed preservation of nature and applied these ideas to urban planning saying, “I think every town should have

5600-436: The water down for infiltration. In residential applications, water runoff can be reduced by 30% with the use of rain gardens in the homeowner's yard. A minimum size of 150 sq. ft. up to a range of 300 sq. ft. is the usual size considered for a private property residence. The cost per square foot is about $ 5–$ 25, depending on the type of plants you use and the slope of the property. Native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials of

5680-492: The watershed at once. Blue roofs , not technically being green infrastructure, collect and store rainfall, reducing the inrush of runoff water into sewer systems. Blue roofs use detention ponds, or detention basins , for collecting the rainfall before it gets drained into waterways and sewers at a controlled rate. As well as saving energy by reducing cooling expenses, blue roofs reduce the urban heat island effect when coupled with reflective roofing material. Rain gardens are

5760-505: The wetland and riparian zones being the most useful for runoff detoxification. Downspout disconnection is a form of green infrastructure that separates roof downspouts from the sewer system and redirects roof water runoff into permeable surfaces. It can be used for storing stormwater or allowing the water to penetrate the ground. Downspout disconnection is especially beneficial in cities with combined sewer systems. With high volumes of rain, downspouts on buildings can send 12 gallons of water

5840-497: The wetlands, which are caused by alteration of natural hydrology and introduction of invasive species. Green roofs improve air and water quality while reducing energy cost. The implementation of green roofs in some regions have correlated with increased albedo, providing slightly cooler temperatures and thus, lower energy consumption. The plants and soil provide more green space and insulation on roofs. Green and blue roofs also help reducing city runoff by retaining rainfall providing

5920-401: The world's population, 1.2 billion people, live in areas of water scarcity . Climate change and water-related disasters will place increasing demands on urban systems and will result in increased migration to urban areas. Cities require a very large input of freshwater and in turn have a huge impact on freshwater systems. Urban and industrial water use is projected to double by 2050. In 2010

6000-440: The year. Chancellor George Osborne remained sceptical after objections to the creation of such a bank were raised by the Treasury, since a Green Investment Bank would "swell the state deficit" as it would appear as a liability on the government's balance sheet. The UK government's Spending Review of October 2010 that announced a raft of austerity measures to deal with the UK government deficit, also included an announcement about

6080-554: Was acquired by the diversified financial group Macquarie Group Limited in 2017, creating one of Europe's largest teams of dedicated green infrastructure investors, and now operates under the name Green Investment Group. It has offices in London and Edinburgh . As a result of the Climate Change Act 2008 , the United Kingdom became legally committed to significantly reducing its carbon emissions by 2050. More importantly,

6160-405: Was formally launched by aid agencies such as Oxfam and Christian Aid, and by churches. The World Development Movement was formed in 1970, and extended the work of AWD but as a separate body with its own member groups to decide its policies and priorities. Its constitution was subsequently changed to allow individuals as well as local groups to become members. Global Justice Now was a co-founder of

6240-562: Was published in March 2009 by Climate Change Capital and E3G . The second, entitled "Delivering a 21st Century Infrastructure for Britain" was published by Policy Exchange in September 2009 and was written by Dieter Helm , James Wardlaw and Ben Caldecott . These proposals were then contained in the manifestos of each of the main political parties for the 2010 UK General Election. The Fiscal year 2010 British government budget contained

6320-565: Was sold to Macquarie Group for £2.3 billion. On 25 May 2011, Vince Cable informed the House of Commons that BIS would appoint Sir Adrian Montague , CBE , chairman of private equity firm 3i , to lead a team of "independent financial experts" in setting up the UK Green Investment Bank before it started work the following year. Cable stated that the bank would be initially staffed by up to 100 people tasked with "financing

6400-521: Was used to provide social areas to interact, and plants were grown in these spaces to provide food in close proximity to the inhabitants. In this period, Large open spaces were used to provide a calm setting that could give "sites of power with sites of sanctity" across France. These sites were used by the French elites to bring rural country town house beauty to their new urban houses in a showcase of power and elaborate display of wealth. The French implemented many different types of infrastructure throughout

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