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 […]
Raingardens That Perform
Raingardens are designed to manage rainfall where it lands. Instead of sending water straight into underground pipes, they slow, store and treat runoff at the surface, reducing pressure on drainage networks while improving water quality and enhancing the spaces around them. When designed properly, raingardens become more than a landscape feature. They are dependable infrastructure, working every day […]
How to Build an Urban Tree
Urban tree populations in cities around the world are under pressure. Despite the clear benefits trees bring, including cooling streets, managing stormwater, improving air quality and creating better places to live, too many fail to establish, or never reach their full potential. Successful urban trees are the result of careful, considered design, where soil volume, water availability, rooting space and overall site conditions are […]
Root Girdling and Why Context Matters
When the phrase root girdling appears in a specification meeting or planning discussion, it tends to stop the conversation cold. The challenge is that the term is often used loosely – sometimes to describe any visible change in root direction or diameter – when, biologically, true girdling is a very specific (and thankfully fairly uncommon) condition. What […]
Planting Is Easy. Keeping Trees Alive Is the Work.
One of the biggest challenges facing the urban greening industry today is how we respond effectively to the accelerating climate crisis. It’s also how we align as a sector to support an integrated approach, one that considers both mitigation and adaptation to reduce emissions, manage stormwater, address the urban heat island effect, and ultimately help […]
Creating Moments to Pause with Spring Blossoms
Planting a tree is often framed as an act of optimism, a gesture toward a greener, more hopeful future. But with blossom trees, the thinking starts earlier: choosing the right tree, the right place, and understanding what it will bring to a space over time. In urban environments, that early thinking is critical. Space is […]
The Three Keys to Successful SuDS Implementation
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are most effective when they are treated as a core part of urban design rather than a technical exercise that sits at the edge of a project. Too often, surface water is addressed late in the process, once layouts are fixed and space is limited. At that point, options narrow and […]
The Critical Role of Interlocking Soil Cells in Urban Tree Infrastructure
Designing urban landscapes that successfully support both healthy tree growth and the structural needs of pavements, pathways, and vehicle areas is a complex engineering challenge. Beneath the surface, the soil cell system plays an essential role in meeting these demands. Its ability to bear static loads, resist lateral forces and preserve large volumes of uncompacted […]