The Barbican: Green Space in the Heart of London
Sited in the heart of the current City of London, the Barbican development represents a fascinating study on creating an urban town within a city. Construction commenced in 1965 to replace an area known as Cripplegate, which was almost totally destroyed during the Blitz, and it was decided to rebuild the 35 acre site as […]
Celebrating Southwark’s Urban Forest Assets
A recent inventory of the trees in the London Borough of Southwark as managed by the tree officers has revealed an estimated economic value of the urban forest at an outstanding £165 million. Tree officers are often recognised as ‘custodians of the urban forest’, managing the public tree estate for the common good. The study, […]
Will we see tree-lined streets on all new developments?
Since MP Mr Chris Clarkson brought a Private Members Bill to the House of Commons on 15th July that wishes to enforce the planting of tree-lined streets on all new developments, the Government has indicated that it intends to make this law. The Housing Secretary, MP Robert Jenrick has made it clear that although planning […]
The Case of Structural Soil vs Soil Cells
Successful urban trees need more than space above ground. Below the surface, they need access to sufficient volumes of nutrient-rich, moist, well-aerated and uncompacted soil if they are going to establish, mature and deliver their intended benefits over the long term. The difficulty is that streets and public spaces have very different requirements. Pavements, roads […]
Which Soil Cell do I use?
With an influx of Tree Planting mediums in recent years, we take a look at the history, benefits and where they are best used. The methodologies used in urban tree planting have been refined over the past twenty-five years, but the principles remain – room to grow above and below ground, uncompacted soil, air and […]
Driving Toward a Greener Future with ArborCharge
One question that is on many minds is “what will our towns and cities look like in the future”? Well, nobody knows, but one thing is sure – it’s going to be different from what we have been used to. There seems to be little doubt that pedestrians and cyclists will have higher priority than […]
Health & Wellbeing: Access to Green Space during COVID-19
The current COVID-19 crisis has helped many of us re-evaluate our priorities; in particular, most of us have really valued our green and open spaces like never before. For the lucky ones of us, extra time spent in our gardens, or in nearby countryside has been enjoyable, especially with the periods of nice weather. But […]
The Role of Maintenance in Successful Urban Tree Planting
Unfortunately, the maintenance-free tree has yet to be discovered. However, the correct species choice and an intelligent inspection regime can reduce long term liabilities massively. In this blog we discuss the needs of trees, and what happens if maintenance is skimped on. Once planted, the first couple of years of support and care are critical […]
Enabling Seamless Specification
Did you know GreenBlue Urban offers FREE Urban Tree Planting Design Services? At the start of any new project, planning correctly and including all pertinent parties is crucial to the success of any project. Including properly planned green spaces provide a wealth of benefits, long term tree canopy enables benefits not just for health but […]
Adapting to Change – Healthy Streets
In London and large cities like New York in North America, Nearly 80% public open space is comprised of streets and roads; thoroughfares that for over one hundred years have been dominated by motor vehicles. It wasn’t always so: early motor vehicles had to be preceded by a man with a red flag to ensure […]