Green Infrastructure

 

What is Green Infrastructure?

"Green Infrastructure is the Region's life support system – the network of natural environment components and green and blue spaces that lies within and between the North west's cities, towns and villages and which provides multiple social, economic and environmental benefits".

Green infrastructure has always been there, so why is it now called Green Infrastructure. As the economic regeneration of the post-industrial areas of the United Kingdom unfolds many have looked at the evolving landscape and seen that it is not only composed of different types of land but that it also has a number of functions.

For example, a woodland is composed of land, an understory, trees in groups , glades and water elements. These components make the type defined as woodland. It may have many functions though such as access, timber production, screening, conservation, and recreation. These make up the functions of woodlands

These functions enable a great many other things to take place these would include

 Education
 Health improvement
 Economic investment
 Climate change management
 Flood management
 Sense and quality and place
 Tourism
 Recreation
 Biodiversity
 Produce

All these contribute to the socio-economic improvement for the places where we live and work.

The Forestry Commissions role in Green Infrastructure is in ensuring our trees and woodlands play an important role in delivering many functions. We achieve this through our own land or helping others to plan, create and manage their woodlands.

A green Infrastructure guide (3Mb PDF)  is available to take away and read.

Natural Economy Northwest has produced several useful reports on Green Infrastructure:

The Economic Value of Green Infastructure

The Economic Value of Green Infastructure - A Case for Investing in GI