Identifying Urban Tree Planting Opportunities
Clearly, we cannot just simply drop trees in anywhere. To have a chance of success, tree species and location are the first priority in our goal of establishing trees in cities. Planting potentially large trees in wrong locations is counterproductive and will simply turn people against trees. However, equally often we see tree planting sites which could […]
A City’s “Twelve Days of Christmas”
Because it’s that time of year, we felt that it was an opportunity to relay the gifts that our cities greatly deserve. So we created a poem of the endowment we hope cities around the world will be in receipt of during the coming year.
Tree Ordinances: What You May Not Know
Tree ordinances are official policies developed by communities to protect trees, preserve green spaces and manage urban forests. They set standards for selection, planting, maintaining, and preserving urban trees. Ordinances seek to establish a legal means of protecting the public interest and establishing a healthy, well-managed urban environment. Tree ordinances are about understanding the benefits that […]
Why GreenBlue? The Meaning of our New Name
Previously operating in North America as Citygreen Urban, our company name was changed to GreenBlue Urban at the beginning of 2015. The reason for this new identity is to better express our passion for green infrastructure, stormwater management, and complimenting street furnishings. Our new name and logo were created with the subliminal message of trees and […]
Quick Guide to Suitable Urban Tree Species
Here we have an assortment of tree species suitable for planting in urban areas. Factors such as ornamental value, hardiness and maintenance were taken into consideration in the selection of these trees. The tree species outlined below represent the best selection based on a look at urban specie suitability by GreenBlue Infrastructure Solutions. This article […]
The Little Things Tree Grates Do To Make a Big Difference
Trees evolved from natural forest settings. Where trees in woodland areas have near perfect conditions, a tree in an urban setting must endure harsh circumstances including paved surrounds, increasing microclimate temperatures and reflecting glare, exposure to wind and de-icing salt, gratuitous vandalism, and much more. Tree grates are used to help integrate trees in the urban environment […]
The History of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the process by which the anticipated effects on the environment of a proposed development or project are measured. EIAs can be undertaken for individual projects or for public plans, in order to ensure that plans likely to have significant effects on the environment are made subject to assessment prior to […]
Sustainable Infrastructure Requires Interdisciplinary Collaboration
The responsibility of creating and maintaining our urban landscapes and infrastructure cannot be laid on any one particular profession. The realities of the modern planning and construction process mean that both the public and private sectors have crucial roles to play if our urban landscapes and infrastructure are to be sustainable. GreenBlue works with all […]
How Valuable Are Urban Trees?
A recent project has revealed the true value of urban trees in the UK county of Wrexham. This first study of its kind in Wales showed that the services and benefits provided by trees to the community is worth more than £1.2 million every year. With urban space at a premium and competition for municipal resources intense, it’s […]
Street Trees & Sustainable Drainage – Call for Project
As a world-leading example of municipal authorities helping to encourage green infrastructure in their cities, boroughs within the City of London were invited to submit innovative local project proposals that deliver street trees combined with sustainable urban drainage systems (or SuDS). This project was part of the wider “Mayor’s Street Tree Initiative”. Background During his first term […]