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Do built environment assessment systems include high quality green infrastructure?

Sinnett, Danielle; Calvert, Tom; Smith, Nick

Authors

Thomas Calvert Thomas2.Calvert@uwe.ac.uk
Research Fellow in Transport and Urban Planning

Profile image of Nicholas Smith

Nicholas Smith Nicholas12.Smith@uwe.ac.uk
AHOD in Geography & Planning Cluster Leader



Contributors

Fabiano Lemes de Oliviera
Editor

Ian Mell
Editor

Abstract

Green infrastructure is understood to be a critical feature of sustainable cities, providing numerous benefits to people and wildlife. However, there are challenges associated with its planning, design and delivery related to skills and knowledge in the built environment sector and the importance placed on green infrastructure in the development process. The sector often turns to assessment systems to ensure that new developments are sustainable, with the standards and criteria they include being used to inform those responsible for delivering commercial and residential developments. This chapter examines thirteen systems commonly used internationally against the key characteristics of green infrastructure including its form as a multifunctional network, relationship with the strategic objectives for the area and functions for improving health and well-being, climate change resilience and nature conservation. The findings suggest that the majority of systems do not provide a robust assessment of green infrastructure against these characteristics. Although they do recognise many of the functions that green infrastructure can provide, they miss opportunities for the additive benefits that can be provided through a multifunctional network. Many of the systems will accredit developments to some degree with very little or no consideration of green infrastructure, giving the impression that it is not an essential component of new development. Built environment assessment systems play an important role in setting the standard for the sector and, as such, could contribute to improving the quality of green infrastructure in the future.

Online Publication Date Feb 3, 2019
Publication Date Feb 3, 2019
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Pages 169-186
Series Title Cities and Nature
Book Title Planning Cities with Nature: Theories, Strategies and Methods
Chapter Number 12
ISBN 9783030018658
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01866-5_12
Keywords green infrastructure, sustainable construction, benchmarks
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/855790
Publisher URL https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-01866-5_12