Sustainable infrastructure

Green Infrastructure or blue-green infrastructure is a network providing the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic challenges by building with nature. The main components of this approach include stormwater management, climate adaptation, less heat stress, more biodiversity, food production, better air quality, sustainable energy production, clean water and healthy soils, as well as the more anthropocentric functions such as increased quality of life through recreation and providing shade and shelter in and around towns and cities. Green infrastructure also serves to provide an ecological framework for social, economic and environmental health of the surroundings.

Nature can be used to provide important services for communities by protecting them against flooding or excessive heat, or helping to improve air, soil and water quality. When nature is harnessed by people and used as an infrastructural system it is called “green infrastructure”. Green infrastructure occurs at all scales. It is most often associated with stormwater management systems, which are smart and cost-effective. However, green infrastructure is really a larger concept and is closely associated with many other things. Green infrastructure also serves to provide an ecological framework for social, economic and environmental health of the surroundings.

"Blue infrastructure" refers to urban infrastructure relating to water. Blue infrastructure is commonly associated with green infrastructure in the urban setting and may be referred to as "blue-green" infrastructure when in combination. Rivers, streams, ponds and lakes may exist as natural features within cities, or be added to an urban environment as an aspect of its design. Urban developments on coasts may also have pre-existing features of the coastline specifically employed in their design. Harbours, quays, piers and other extensions of the urban environment may also be added to capture benefits associated with the marine environment. There may considerable co-benefits to health and wellbeing of populations with access to blue spaces in the urban context.

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Wikipedia