The Dirtiest Drop: Rethinking Rain in Our Cities
For decades, the way we designed drainage in our towns and cities followed a simple principle: get water away from buildings as quickly as possible. Pipes, tanks and underground infrastructure were designed to move rainwater off site and into sewers or nearby watercourses. But what we have learned over the last few years is that the first […]
Importance of preparing cities for ‘El Nino’ climate events
A ‘Super El Niño’ is set to make 2027 one of the hottest years on record, with temperatures potentially exceeding 40°C again in the UK, according to scientists reported in The Times. Our cities and towns must be prepared to help cool neighbourhoods, provide much needed shade and support healthier urban environments as climate pressures continue to intensify. […]
Why Water, Soil and Landscape Must Shape Future Development
What stood out at UKREiiF 2026, across a range of sessions and conversations, was how often different speakers and disciplines were circling the same ground. Water, resilience, public realm and stewardship surfaced repeatedly across conversations that had little else in common, and increasingly they were being discussed not as separate considerations to be resolved by […]