21 March 2023
We all recognise the acute need for Green Infrastructure to be delivered as all integral part of all Infrastructure. Each road, each path each house and every single industrial development needs to play a role in the health of our cities and urban spaces. To omit even one type of development lessens the responsibility of all developments. But how do we impress this upon our clients and co-consultants? We can ask nicely. We can deliver impassioned speeches. We can appeal to their sense of logic and social responsibility. Or increasingly, we can present data.
A particularly exciting trend is the integration of technology and data into the planning and management of green infrastructure projects. For example, cities and organizations are increasingly using geographic information systems (GIS) and other mapping tools to identify areas where green infrastructure can have the greatest impact, such as in areas with high levels of urban heat island effect or stormwater runoff. Sensors and other data collection tools are being deployed to monitor the performance of green infrastructure installations, such as green roofs or facades, in real time. This data can be used to optimise the design and maintenance of these installations to ensure they are functioning effectively, but also add to the imperial data on cost savings, cooling and air quality.
I attended the LAtitude Masterclass on Living Architecture with Graeme Hopkins and was completely engaged with the work that he’s done and is still doing. His ability to see the opportunities and issues with the insertion of green into the built form was inspiring and thought provoking. There is a plethora of information becoming available to us to add fuel to our argument, but there is always more that can be researched, thought of and analysed. Maybe your next project could be a pilot or test an idea to make Green Infrastructure easier to implement.
Good Luck!
Tessa Leggo - AILA QLD President