Keeping Rain Out of Sewers Starts at the Surface
Every time it rains, millions of litres of relatively clean rainwater enter sewer networks that were never designed to carry it. Effective stormwater management reduces sewer overflows by managing rainfall where it falls rather than allowing it to enter the combined sewer network. As towns and cities have expanded, more permeable ground has been replaced with roofs, roads, […]
Do Tree Roots Damage Pavements? The Real Cause of Root Heave
Lifted kerbs, cracked paving and uneven footpaths are often blamed on tree roots. It’s one of the biggest concerns surrounding urban tree planting, particularly in streets, public spaces and hard landscapes where trees sit alongside roads, utilities and buildings. In reality, tree roots are rarely the problem. Pavement damage is usually the result of poor below-ground design. When trees are provided with sufficient […]
Structural Stability Matters Long Before Trees Are Planted
When urban tree planting projects are discussed, much of the conversation centres around the finished outcome. How much soil volume is available? Will the tree have enough rooting space? What level of canopy cover will be achieved in the future? These are all important questions. But they focus on what happens after construction is complete. […]
Why Water, Soil and Landscape Must Shape Future Development
What stood out at UKREiiF 2026, across a range of sessions and conversations, was how often different speakers and disciplines were circling the same ground. Water, resilience, public realm and stewardship surfaced repeatedly across conversations that had little else in common, and increasingly they were being discussed not as separate considerations to be resolved by […]
How to Build an Urban Tree
Urban tree populations in cities around the world are under pressure. Despite the clear benefits trees bring, including cooling streets, managing stormwater, improving air quality and creating better places to live, too many fail to establish, or never reach their full potential. Successful urban trees are the result of careful, considered design, where soil volume, water availability, rooting space and overall site conditions are […]
Nature-based SuDS should be the default. What’s holding them back?
For more than a decade, the UK has broadly agreed on the direction of travel for surface water management. Policy documents reference it. Guidance supports it. Demonstration projects prove it. Designers increasingly understand how to deliver it. And yet, across much of England, nature-based Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) are still often delivered through planning negotiation […]
Building Urban Drainage Resilience Through Distributed Solutions
Our existing urban drainage systems are being asked to do far more than they were ever designed for. Denser development, hard landscaping, population growth and increasingly intense rainfall are combining to expose a fundamental weakness in traditional sewer networks. The symptoms are now familiar: surface water flooding that appears without warning, wastewater assets pushed beyond […]
Building Climate Resilience into our Street Trees
It may feel counter-intuitive to discuss heat stress as the nights are starting to turn colder, but the climate change data is unambiguous: hotter, drier summers and shorter, more intense downpours are here to stay. With this in mind, Forestry England recently released a new ‘species for the future’ list of trees most likely to […]
Thoughtful Design Means Trees Thrive Near Utilities
Urban environments are complex spaces where every inch serves a purpose, yet greenery remains essential. Trees do more than beautify streets; they improve air quality, reduce urban heat, stabilise soil, intercept rainfall and create habitats for urban wildlife. Beyond environmental benefits, trees enhance social well-being, offering shade, encouraging outdoor activity, and improving mental health. Economically, […]
Why Roots Decide the Success of your Next Tree Scheme
Most urban trees fail not because of poor species choice, but because their roots are starved of space and soil. The result? Shrinking canopies, failed specs, and wasted investment. Autumn is a reminder: while leaves fade, roots keep working. But in hard landscapes, compacted soil and limited rooting volume can cut life expectancy from decades […]