It was, roughly speaking, in the mid 1990s that
someone, most likely in the US, thought to put together the words ‘green’ and
‘infrastructure’. Roll on to 2013 and the concept of green infrastructure is still
a relatively unfamiliar concept outside the green sector, but it is one that is
increasingly set to take centre stage. Though exact definitions of green
infrastructure may vary, the consensus is that its key purpose is to produce
cleaner air. And that’s a matter that concerns every one of us.
I had the opportunity to speak on the issues,
practical challenges and solutions involved with greening our urban
environments at this year’s Greenbuild Expo. The challenge is stark.
World-wide, more and more people are living in urban environments with limited
access to green space, while – at the same time – in many parts of the world
pollution levels are increasing. In Europe
alone, a 10% increase in urbanisation is expected between 2000 and 2015, while
45 million people already have limited access to green space. There is a huge
body of research that links poor air quality to higher asthma rates, lung
problems and even stunted lung growth in children.
There’s also a growing body of research evidence to
link greenery in the form of trees, plants and other vegetation to a happier,
healthier urban living experience. Among their many virtues, plants breathe out
oxygen and remove pollutant matter or dust – called PM10s – from the air. In addition,
greenery also encourages bio-diversity in cities, offers shade, promotes a
feeling of wellbeing and can even help reduce crime levels.
At Mobilane, we are working in partnership with Staffordshire University to explore more fully the
range of benefits offered by green infrastructure. It was my pleasure to
present at Greenbuild alongside John Dover, Professor of Ecology at the
university, who talked about the meaning of green infrastructure and the potential
for integrating greenery into urban areas.
A creative approach will certainly be needed to ramp
up the green volume in our cities. Trees take up huge amounts of space and require
relatively high levels of maintenance. Our living screens and Living Walls offer
a vertical way to green up space that produces immediate results both in terms
of aesthetics and PM10 reduction. We also have a range of temporary green
screens such as Living Hoardings that can boost greenery levels around
construction sites – and help offset building projects’ carbon footprint.
If green, living structures are to become an
integrated feature of urban landscapes, our notion of how greenery is used will
need to become far broader. But the results will be well worth it – cleaner air
for everyone.
For
more information about Mobilane’s green screens, Living Walls and other
products, please visit our website www.mobilane.co.uk
Professor John Dover of Staffordshire University and me at the Greenbuild Expo in Manchester.
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