How Trees Became a Symbol of Christmas
The first Christmas Trees came to Britain sometime in the 1830’s. Originating in Germany in the 16th century, they became predominantly popular in 1841, when Prince Albert (Queen Victoria’s German husband) had a pine Christmas Tree set up in Windsor Castle. In 1848, drawing of “The Queen’s Christmas Tree at Windsor Castle” was published in […]
Twas The Week Before Christmas: A Story of Urban Tree Planting
Twas the week before Christmas When all through the city Not a department was stirring Except for one BIA committee The street decorations Were hung with great care In hopes that the shoppers Would continue to be there But council determined That the city’s main street Needed a bit of an uplift To help the […]
Water Resilient Cities
GreenBlue Urban’s Head of Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships, Charlotte Markey, recently had the privilege of traveling to Bruges, Belgium with a member of the Natural Infrastructure Team from Plymouth City Council. Together they met collaborators from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands to discuss an EU Interreg project which focuses specifically on communities in what the […]
Award Winning Urban Landscape Projects Featuring GreenBlue Products
Many national and international organizations have instituted valuable competitions to recognize and reward innovative examples of best urban development and planning. Rectification of decades of neglect has elevated many bedraggled districts into thriving new communities. The London Docklands Development in the UK, conveniently supplemented by the massive 2012 London Olympics Construction and upgraded transport links, […]
Green and Blue in the Land of Milk and Honey
I have just returned from a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel across Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Territories. It is clear that what connects all the people living across these borders is a love of nature and a desire to integrate trees into their public realm and private residences. Walking on a warm, […]
Rising to the Stormwater Challenge
Traditional stormwater drainage methods that rapidly convey runoff from where it has fallen to a soakaway or watercourse increases the risks of flooding and environmental damage. The “Stormwater Treatment Train” is a collective strategy that uses an integrated approach of several components – such as LID tree pits – that slow, cool, treat, transpire, and […]
Leicester and the Integration of Green and Blue
Having recently visited Leicester and the Integration of Green and Blue and with our history of delivering projects in and around the city, most notably our work on Jubilee Square, it seemed timely to reflect on the green and blue infrastructure of the city. Leicester currently has a Local Plan for consultation and this will […]
Sheffield: Social Justice, Flooding and Greenspace
Sheffield, one of the eight key City Regions with a devolution deal struck in the era of the Cameron/Osbourne ‘Northern Powerhouse’ project, faces some tough challenges and some stark choices if it is to grow ‘sustainably’ and deliver the green and blue infrastructure its citizens require. It is understandably known as one of the ‘greenest […]
Mainstreaming Green Infrastructure (2016 LID Conference)
The 2016 International Low Impact Development Conference took place in beautiful Portland, Maine. It highlighted the mainstreaming of green infrastructure and Low Impact Development (LID) in municipal planning and policy making, as well as new and existing work and research in the United States and around the world. Organized by the EWRI Urban Water Resources Research […]
The World’s Most Sustainable Cities
Sustainability… Perhaps one of the most overused buzzwords of the 21st Century. But what does it actually mean, and why is it so critical? More importantly, what cities are doing it right and making a real impact on not only regional, but global sustainability? This article looks into these points and discusses how green infrastructure plays […]