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BGS workshop Nov 28, Imperial College London

On November 28 2017, an interactive workshop will be held at Imperial College London which will demonstrate the benefits of a systematic and integrated approach to designing more sustainable and resilient cities using nature based, or Blue-Green, solutions.  The workshop will start with an overview of the Blue Green Systems Approach for urban planning and design and the Adaptation Support Tool (AST). In the second part, the participants will use a case study to get hands-on experience with the approach and the tools.

For further information and how to register, see the detailed programme.

Achieving the BGD – Nov. 11th, 2015

Over 80 delegates convened at Imperial College London on Nov. 11th, 2015 to hear about:

• The computer models and tools developed by the Blue Green Dream consortium
• The opportunities in London for achieving our Blue Green vision
• The steps being taken both within the UK and internationally to implement the Blue Green paradigm

After the initial introductions by the BGD leader Prof. Cedo Maksimovic and the BGD project manager Dr Karl Smith, delegates were treated to insights into the cutting edge research being pursued by the BGD consortium to quantify the benefits of green infrastructure and develop models of the performance of green infrastructure.

In the second second session, the supporting science behind the BGD was introduced. Delegates heard how the University of Reading and the Royal Horticultural Society are collaboratively assessing the effect that irrigation with greywater has on the ecosystem service provision of green roof plant species and how Imperial College is using the data collected from its blue green roof facility to develop a predictive model of green roofs’ stormwater detention and building energy efficiency performance.

Next, the tools and services created by the BGD consortium were introduced.  These included: the Integrated Modelling System – for systematically developing Blue Green plans that consider all key interactions between blue green infrastructure, the site buildings and the local environment;  the Adaptation Support Tool – for co-creating and refining, with stakeholder groups, designs for Blue Green retrofit schemes; UWOT – for optimising the efficiency of water networks from the individual household to the city level; the Intelligent Cistern – for ensuring that stormwater/rainwater storage tanks are partially discharged prior to intense rainfall events to facilitate their use as flood risk mitigation measure.

In the mid-afternoon session, our guest speakers, who included Alex Nickson of the Greater London Authority and Tom Cardis, of the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (ODPC), described some potential pathways and opportunities for implementing the BGD philosophy in London.  The Old Oak and Park Royal site, which will be the largest development in the UK and will feature the only connection point between the new HS2 rail-line and Crossrail, is poised to set a precedent in Blue Green planning for the capital.  We heard from practitioners Roger Helmsworth of architects Pollard Thomas Edwards and ecologist Mike Wells, head of Biodiversity by Design, on the blue greening of architectural plans/designs and a post-industrial site respectively.

Finally, we heard from Alex Panko about the new, blue green paradigm for sustainable, high speed construction in development between the BGD spin-off Blue Green Global and modular building company Panablok. Tony Brophy, who organised the 2014 Sustainable Green Infrastructure Conference held in London, concluded proceedings with a rousing and affirmative speech on the steps being taken by Prof Cedo Maksimovic and the greater BGD community to truly achieve the BGD’s vision.

You can now download presentations from the event – see below:

Please note that copyright is retained by the presentation authors and their respective institutions.  Presentation materials may not be reused without the express permission of the copyright owners.

BGD Mission and Achievements

Introduction to the Blue Green Dream (BGD)     Prof. Čedo Maksimović,  Imperial College London

BGD Concept, Consortium and Vision    Dr Karl Smith, Imperial College London

BGD Supporting Science, Processes and Models

Optimising Urban Plants’ Water Management to Support Provision of Ecosystem Services     Sarah Kemp, Dr Tijana Blaunsa, Prof. Paul Hadley: University of Reading, Royal Horticultural Society

The Imperial Blue Green Roof – Quantificiation and Modelling of Benefits     Xi Liu, Čedo Maksimović, Ana Mijic: Imperial College London

Blue Green Solutions for Urban Planning     Srdjan Stankovic, Prof. Čedo Maksimović, Prof. Aleksandra Đukić: Imperial College London, University of Belgrade

The BGD Tools and Services

Adaptation Support Tool (AST)     Prof. Frans van de Ven, Deltares

Multi-Hydro     Dr Auguste Gires, ENPC ParisTech

Urban Water management via The Intelligent Cistern, Urban Tree Pit and the BGD Evaluation Matrix     Daniel Geisler, TU Berlin (with material also from IPS – Sieker)

Introducing UWOT: The Urban Water Optioneering Tool     Atiyeh Ardakanian, University College London (on behalf of Dr. Christos Makropoulos, National Technical University of Athens, Prof. Čedo Maksimović,  Imperial College London)

Costing the Benefits of Blue Green Solutions     Dr Ana Mijic, Imperial College London

The BGD in Practice and its Potential

Blue Green Cities: Opportunities at Old Oak and Park Royal     Tom Cardis, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation

Marlowe Road, London: A Blue Green Case Study     Roger Holdsworth, Pollard Thomas Edwards

Water Sensititive Urban Design: The East Village, Stratford, London     Mike Wells, Bioidiversity by Design

The BGD outlook – Implementation of Blue Green Solutions

A Step-change in Sustainable Sonstruction:The BGD-Panablok paradigm     Alex Panko, Panablok

The BGD Vision for a Blue Green Future     Tony Brophy