Head of Landscape Architecture in the School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy at UCD, Dr Karen Foley reflects on the importance of greening in an urban context.
A green city is a healthy city, and the green space in our urban areas has never been more important. As our towns and villages grow in size, open space and recreational areas will come under increasing pressure. Throughout history, the value of vegetation in the built environment has been recognised. While early parks were appreciated as valuable “green lungs” in industrialised towns, today, as we adapt to living through a pandemic and grapple with the climate emergency, the green infrastructure in our cities is more precious than ever. It is essential to the quality of urban life, and we demand even more from the open space in our built environment. We need it to look good, feel safe, provide opportunities for a range of different activities and also fulfil a wide range of functional requirements. Green infrastructure, such as sustainable drainage systems (SUDS), green roofs, public open space, and urban trees, all help enhance biodiversity. These initiatives also allow local communities to reconnect with nature, and they contribute to climate change mitigation through carbon storage. Additionally, constructed wetlands can enhance urban water quality while increased tree planting will improve the tree canopy cover, provide shelter, improve urban air quality and provide beneficial corridors for wildlife movement within the urban environment.
The recent Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021 sets out the legal framework for Ireland’s transition to a climate resilient, biodiversity rich, environmentally sustainable, and climate neutral economy. Therefore, it is very timely that the Irish Green Cities Award is inviting nominations from Irish building projects that demonstrate innovative landscape solutions. This initiative is part of the More Green Cities for Europe campaign. Supported by funding from the European Commission, the initiative is coordinated by Bord Bia in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Association on behalf of the Irish Hardy Nursery Stock Association.
