Pioneering Urban Tree Planting Since the 90’s
Since the inception of GreenBlue Urban in 1992, we have set out to research and provide solutions to assist trees in their battle to establish in urban areas. In the late 1990’s, we commenced testing on the world’s first soil support module. The RootCell generation 1 was the world’s first soil cell and became the primary pattern […]
Our Roadshow Travels to London
It was a pleasure to hold our latest Roadshow in the iconic grounds of the existing BBC TV at London’s White City, the fifth in our series in 2019. Held at the “Cool” White City House the event focused on Biodiversity, SUDs and the Highway. We all know the impact our transport infrastructure on the […]
The Urban Greening Factor
The Urban Greening Factor has been introduced as part of The London Plan and provides an easily accessible means by which local authorities can score the merits of various green infrastructure and SuDs interventions across the urban environment. Covering a wide range of options including, but not limited to, street trees, green roofs, green walls, […]
Introducing Cool Towns
Readers may remember that GreenBlue Urban have been fortunate enough to work on two European funded projects – Water Resilient Cities and Cool Towns. The Cool Towns project is reaching an exciting phase with project partners discussing the design and planning of their green infrastructure interventions, including the methods that will be utilised to monitor […]
How Bioretention Tree Pits can Manage Stormwater at Source
At GreenBlue Urban we have been continuously innovating to develop engineered solutions that not only provide amenity and biodiversity value, but add the critical element of sustainability to the process of integrating trees into the urban landscape. With a particular focus on SUDs / LID, stormwater practitioners across diverse practices have been considering the importance […]
Discussing the adverse impacts of Microplastics
Today plastic is a vital raw material, integral to the manufacture of everyday products. Ten years ago, the plastics industry accounted for more than 1.4 million jobs in over 62,000 companies across the European Union. However, their disposal on an ever-increasing scale results in significant global impacts on wildlife from marine environment pollution. Microplastics are […]
Making Urban Trees Great Again!
In the consideration of what it actually means to be ‘great’, we should look at what it requires to accomplish equitable and sustainable cities for all. We applaud sportsmen and women and the heroes of ancient mythology for greatness but surely we can achieve greatness without recourse to tribalism, factionalism or exclusionary agendas. It is […]
Embedding Canopy Cover from the Start
We quite often see new developments and prominent city-centre regeneration schemes lauded and awarded for their novel approach to architecture. The evolution of building materials available to make our built forms smarter and more efficient as well as more pioneering in terms of structural engineering capabilities is also increasingly well understood. However, what we don’t […]
Collaborators Join Force for our VIP Event
It was a great pleasure for the GreenBlue Urban to invite friends, colleagues and collaborators to celebrate the opening of our new London Design Studio in the heart of London’s thriving creative district of Clerkenwell. A stone’s throw from major transport hubs it makes the ideal location for Architects, Landscape Architects, Contractors, Developers, Planners and […]
Long Term Successful Tree Planting and the Rise of the Planter
Following some activity in the Twittersphere regarding the trees in planters in Kings Cross, a site adjacent to where we have delivered trees into our cell systems which provide for adequate soil volume and access to irrigation and the correct drainage, we felt duty-bound to respond. In order to maximise the benefits of urban trees […]
Green Infrastructure Walking Tour in Toronto
At GreenBlue Urban we are constantly committed to engaging a broad range of professionals to share our experience of urban tree pit design and especially the approaches to LID/(SuDS) tree pits in constrained urban environments. Planners hold the key to setting the policy framework that enable us to develop more sustainable and resilient cities and […]
Bringing Together a Wealth of Expertise for – “Suds in the City”
In the fourth of the 2019 roadshows GBU has undertaken, having visited Glasgow, Leeds and Cambridge, the team arrived in Manchester. We have had a long and robust relationship with City of Trees and it was timely that we collaborated to bring together speakers on the topic of SUDS in the City. Making the explicit […]
It’s All About Root Physiology!
Root physiology is an extraordinary subject and little understood. It is generally assumed that roots absorb moisture from the soil. However, it is only the Piliferous layer of the hydrotropic roots prior to the Meristem of the root activity that carry out this vital function. Here the Epidermis of the hydrotropic root is surrounded by […]
Discussing Future Approaches to ‘Green Streets’ in Leeds
In collaboration with Leeds City Council, Professor Alan Simson the Institute of Chartered Foresters and GreenBlue Urban were delighted to deliver another successful roadshow focused on the ‘Green Streets Principles’ that have been adopted by Leeds, Kirklees council and other adjacent local authorities. The event was designed to highlight the importance of considering the requirements […]
American Street Trees – Are We Providing Them for Future Generations?
The canopy cover of many cities across the US and around the world is made up of large, mature trees. In the US, most of these trees were planted in the late 1800s to early 1900s, making them well over 100 years old. Thankfully, our grandparents and great grandparents understood the value of trees and […]
How to Incorporate Biodiversity Net Gain & SuDS on New Developments
It has now been confirmed in the Spring Statement that the Government will pass legislation to put Biodiversity Net Gain on a statutory basis and with this in mind we have to ask ourselves what does this mean and how can we design, construct and implement bold and ambitious schemes to not only improve on […]
Evolving our Understanding to Meet Drainage Solutions
GreenBlue Urban’s Charlotte recently attended the CIWEM Spring Conference in Birmingham to learn about the ways in which we can evolve an understanding to meet new and old challenges when it comes to water management. Keynote speaker Mark Worsfold from Water UK, outlined the latest developments in DWMP (Drainage Waste Water Management Plans). He explained the […]
Innovation for the Long Term – Roadshow Update
May 14 saw the second of the GreenBlue Urban roadshows arrive in East Anglia. The beautiful environs of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, where GreenBlue have delivered the ArborSystem, provided the perfect context to welcome landscape architects, utilities companies and developers to a focused series of talks on Trees and SUDs in the urban environment. Speakers […]
SUDS Source at the Highest Level
It was a pleasure to meet fellow members of the SuDs community to explore the progress we have made collectively across the UK in the design, valuation, monitoring and policy aspects of SUDs. The SuDS Source Conference was introduced and organised by Bob Bray Associates and McCloy Consulting the day brought together practitioners from across […]
In Collaboration with Private and Public Sectors
Last week saw the first of a series of collaborative roadshow events, which took place at Southside Housing Association, Glasgow. The event co-hosted by CSGN, GreenBlue Urban and Southside HA provided a platform for stakeholders across the public and private sector divide to present innovative SUDs projects and discuss barriers and opportunities for the implementation […]
Clever Ways to Integrate Space
GreenBlue Urban had the opportunity to be a part of an award-winning estate regeneration scheme in Hackney, London, which has won the prestigious New London Architecture Mayor’s Prize and a RIBA National Award. Designed by Karakusevic Carson Architects and completed in 2017, bringing 50% of the 700 planned high quality homes to Hackney residents. The […]
Creative & Innovative Solutions from EUGIC
In the stunning setting of London’s Olympic Park, in the East of the City, the 2019 EUGIC conference showcased the best of pan European learning focused on creating resilient, healthier cities through nature-based solutions and water sensitive urban design. The programme encompassed a huge variety of topic areas ranging from the financing of green infrastructure […]
Site visit for EU ‘COOL TOWNS’ Project
Our readers may remember the launch of GreenBlue Urban’s second successful EU Interreg funded 2Seas Project, Cool Towns. This project focuses specifically on the interplay between the integration of green and blue infrastructure into the urban environment and the effect this will have on urban cooling and climate change mitigation. The pilot projects that will […]
Rainforests – The Ultimate Green Blue Environment!
During a recent business trip to visit GreenBlue South America, three representatives from GreenBlue Urban had the opportunity to stray away from the noise and chaotic bustle of Buenos Aires (which has magnificent trees by the way) and go explore the subtropical rainforest further north in that continent. Nestling on the border between Argentina and […]
The cost of soil compaction
It was a privilege to attend the Sustainable Soils Alliance event in Westminster this week focusing on the economics and valuation of soil. As our readers will be aware, the importance of soil cannot be underestimated. It is the fabric, the building block of our landscape and for our trees, a vital source for them […]
