Green Infrastructure in the United Kingdom: Landscape Institute calls for landscape-based solution in addressing the challenges of the 21st century

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are key to flood mitigation in cities. (Acknowledgment: Horticulture Week)

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) are key to flood mitigation in cities. (Acknowledgment: Horticulture Week)

“We need a mix of green and grey,” says Sue Illman

The incidence of flooding as experienced recently in the United Kingdom is likely to become the norm with climate change and will have a significant impact upon our cities and landscapes, says the Landscape Institute in a call for action by the UK government.

Sue-Illman_UK Landscape InstituteSue Illman, former president of the Landscape Institute and the Construction Industry Council’s Champion for Flood Mitigation and Resilience said: “We require a strategy that recognises the importance of Green Infrastructure. Green responses civilise grey engineering solutions and make them more cost effective and visually acceptable.  Although for major schemes it is unlikely to replace engineering, the two need to work together to make our towns and cities more liveable, attractive and useable.”

“We need a mix of green and grey, with the proportions varying based on the scheme: land available, gradients, soil types and a range of other factors.  Even what appears on the surface to be green schemes, still have engineering beneath them. Green and grey working together can deliver real placemaking.”

About the Landscape Institute

The Landscape Institute is the Royal Chartered Institute for Landscape Architects and Landscape professionals, including landscape designers, landscape managers, landscape planners, landscape ecologists and urban designers.

As a professional body and educational charity, the Landscape Institute works to protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built environment for the public benefit.

The Landscape Institute also works with government to improve the planning, design and management of urban and rural landscape.

To Learn More:

To download and read the complete story posted by Horticulture Week in the United Kingdom, click on Landscape Institute calls for landscape-led flooding solution.