"Underpass with a modern, curved overpass design, wider at the top and tapering at the base. A vehicle on the road provides scale, and the structure contrasts with the clear sky and greenery on the hill above. The image showcases innovative infrastructure design combining functionality and aesthetic

EU Plans to Support the Strategic Deployment of Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Restoration in Europe

05 September 2019

EU 2013 Green Infrastructure Strategy

The European Environment Agency, the Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Environment of the European Commission published a joint report in 2013 pertaining to the EU’s ‘Green Infrastructure Strategy’ with a view to providing guidance to the local, regional and national stakeholder on the design of how multi-functional, cross-border green infrastructure should be realised.

The report details how architects, consulting engineers and planners need to improve coordinated management and integrated spatial planning between regions in order to adapt to climate change, reduce pressures that lead from land conversion and ensure that biodiversity enhancement needs become a central part of territorial and spatial planning.

Recovery of Biodiversity

The integration of Nature Based Solutions to urban planning has many benefits including providing much-needed water purification, flood mitigation, heat regulation and crop pollination services. The EU’s plans detail the need to pay equal attention to ensuring that the health of local ecosystems are allowed to recover their biodiversity, helping species to thrive in their natural habitat. This is central to the drive from the EU to help urban areas work in symbiosis with the natural environment so that the conditions are provided to allow ecosystems across Europe to recover from the decades of damage human development has caused.

Declan Alcock of Varming Consulting Engineers provided a keynote on Nature Based Solutions for Buildings at the recent ARCC2019 conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia which brought together European Experts to share their expertise in Nature Based Solutions to promote resilient cities & communities. https://www.arcc2030.eu/

If you would like to know more about anything described here, you can find out lots of information about sustainable design on our website www.varming.ie as well as details of our previous work. Alternatively, if would like a chat with a member of our knowledgeable team, call us now on +353 (0)1 4872300.