The Winner of This Year’s Urban Tree of the Year…
…the Blue Jacaranda! This breathtaking tree with its large blue-purple blooms has been awarded as the 2023 Urban Tree of the Year by the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA). This semi-evergreen boasts 20-inch leaves that are delicate and fern-like, blooms from May through the summer, and provides an eye-popping focal point to a garden or […]
GreenBlue – Made in Britain!
The current impacts of climate change are profusely clear, affecting millions of people worldwide, especially the vulnerable. As the crisis worsens governments need to plan and now is the time to adapt. The multi-functional benefits of blue-green infrastructure (BGI) within our communities, towns and cities include economic, social, cultural, and environmental. Therefore, should be renamed […]
How Will the New Active Travel Assessment Impact England?
Will this lead to tree-lined cycling and walking routes? Active Travel England, the recently formed government’s executive agency responsible for making walking, wheeling, and cycling the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England, has finally published local authority active travel capability ratings. It follows on from the government’s vision for cycling and walking […]
FutureBuild 2023 – We took a Stand!
Futurebuild 2023 opened its doors last week to all working within the built environment, striving for a sustainable future. Thousands of attendees visited the event at Excel London, experiencing ground-breaking innovations, inspiring sponsored theatres, and interactive zones. Welcoming thought leaders, innovators, and disruptors who are all seeking to reach a shared goal of net zero. […]
Will Levelling Up transform Britain?
Levelling Up is a flagship policy that the Conservative government introduced in 2019 which through two rounds of funding distributed £4.8 billion. On the 18th of January 2023, the UK government published a list of 111 successful bids in receipt of Levelling up Round 2 funding. This follows from the last year’s announcement of 105 […]
Mixed-Use Developments Redefine “Community”
How would you like to live in the same building you work and shop and even meet friends for drinks at the end of the day? Mixed-use developments are all the rage right now, as urban developers are combining living and retail space on every city corner…and even some suburban ones as well! Homebuyers and […]
Connecting Britain
Across the world, travel is changing, with better interconnections between different modes being made easier, and sustainable travel is encouraged. The road and rail network in Britain is undergoing significant improvement work to better connect the country and support economic growth. New services and connections are being established to better connect communities and businesses, including […]
Guest Blog: The value of non-woodland trees
Kieron Doick – Head, Urban Forest Research Group, Forest Research Were you aware that around 20% of the trees in the UK are outside of woodland? That’s not a new statistic and maybe it’s slightly out by now (after all it is from 2017). But – personally – I’m somewhat glad that it is […]
Embedding Landscape into Engineered Environments
Our urban environments are a complicated mixture of hard and soft finishes: concrete and grass, bricks and shrubs, tarmac, and trees. All require certain skills in design, and certain levels of maintenance. But as our climate changes, we need to revise our traditional designs to create more resilient future-proofed spaces. But what defines the correct […]
The GreenBlue Interface
GreenBlue operates as the interface between nature and the built environment, having a vision of creating healthy urban spaces in harmony with nature. The GreenBlue team pride themselves on values consisting of customer focus, ensuring that you are at the centre of our business decisions, with a reliable service and a passion for positivity. GreenBlue […]