Join this webinar as we discuss our upcoming report ‘Green and Blue Infrastructure: A Transport Sector Perspective’ written to give recommendations to Government bodies and highway authorities on how to provide a better understanding and greater implementation of GBI.
During the webinar we look at what needs to be done to encourage greater GBI implementation on our streets, roads and highways.
You will hear from key members of our GBI steering group who helped write this report as they discuss how GBI can be effectively incorporated to create more resilient roads and commonly overlooked benefits of GBI.
There will be a Q&A session towards the end of the webinar where the audience can ask the speakers their questions.
As the effects of climate change become more severe our road networks are at a higher risk of damage and disruption. From extremely high temperatures that melt asphalt, to heavy rain that floods roads, as these events become more frequent we need to do more to make our roads climate resilient.
Nature-based solutions are highlighted as a key method to help the UK adapt to climate change in the UK Environmental Bill. Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) can play a vital role in climate resilience by providing trees for street cooling, Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for flood water management and more.
CIHT have recognsised the co-dependency of GBI and roads. We need GBI to create better streets and roads; at the same time roads serve an important role in creating green linkages and reversing biodiversity fragmentation.
We sought to understand what can be done to encourage more Green and Blue Infrastructure on our streets, roads and highways. Through interviews and surveys with transport professionals we found that there are many misunderstandings surrounding GBI such as it being a ‘decorative add on’ or ‘too expensive to maintain’. We believe that if these professionals understood the environmental, social, health and economic benefits that GBI provides, they would be more inclined to include it in their projects.
We have therefore created recommendations to Government bodies and highway authorities on how to provide a better understanding and greater implementation of GB in our upcoming report ‘Green and Blue Infrastructure: A Transport Sector Perspective’.
This webinar is open to both CIHT Members, CIHT Partner Employees and non-members. It will be of particular interest to those wanting to learn about the latest developments in climate action.
James is a Chartered Civil Engineering Fellow and asset management specialist with over 30 years’ experience in infrastructure strategy, design, construction, operations and maintenance. He has worked for national and local highway organisations, consultancies, contractors, and integrated service providers. His cross-sector experience includes roads, rail, environment and water.
James has held several CIHT roles including chairing the Asset Management Group, member of the Learned Society Technical Strategy Board and Chair of the Green Blue Infrastructure policy group. James is currently secretary for the PIARC Road Network Operations and ITS technical committee and has lectured in asset risk management at Surrey University and asset valuation at UCEM.
Sue is a chartered Architect and worked in private practice in West Wales focusing on sustainable buildings in context. She is a founding member and Convenor of the Trees and Design Action Group, and has also advised Futurebuild (formerly Ecobuild) for many years on content for the knowledge programme. Sue is also a member of the steering group for the Trees, People and Built Environment Urban Tree Research conferences. She is a member of the Edge, a built and natural environment campaigning think tankand a member of the Adult Advisory Board for Teach the Future, the student led climate education campaign.
The focus of her present work is on the collation and dissemination of research and information into practice.
Gemma is the Director of Building with Nature (BwN), the UK’s first national benchmark and accreditation system for green infrastructure. Gemma Jerome is an environmental planner with a specialism in the design, delivery, and stewardship of green infrastructure. She is a Fellow of the Landscape Institute, and co-chaired the British Standards Institute panel for the BS8683:2021 Process for designing and implementing Biodiversity Net Gain. Gemma has sat on various government roundtables and advisory panels offering expertise on design quality, and recently supported the development of the Natural England Green Infrastructure Framework and the RTPI/RSPB design code.
The recording will be available to CIHT Members post event, free of charge, via the members area of the CIHT website. Paying delegates will not have access to the recording and, if registering, should attend the live event.
If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact the CIHT Conferences & Events Team on +44 (0)20 7336 1555 or conferences@ciht.org.uk
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