DEFRA has announced the creation of a Green Infrastructure Partnership (GIP), a scheme which will help to generate more green space in the city.
The GIP will assist communities that have little free space in urban areas make more innovative use of existing grey infrastructure, through initiatives such as planting around grey walls and creating sky gardens on disused rooftops, DEFRA announced.
The GIP aims to create more green space which it sees as important for our health and well-being. It is also designed to encourage investment in new jobs and businesses.
A recent study of over 350,000 people found that those who lived near to green space lived longer and health inequalities were significantly reduced, DEFRA said.
The Natural Environment White Paper published by DEFRA in June made a commitment to enhance green infrastructure and improve communities’ health, quality of life and resilience to climate change.
The new GIP will be made up of planning professionals, landscape architects and environmental interest groups alongside organisations such as Natural England, the Landscape Institute and the Environment Agency.
It aims to collect evidence of experiences from across the country and understand the issues that are faced. Using this information, the partnership will produce materials to help those who want to create a green area in their local community to do so.
The Partnership fulfils a commitment made in the Natural Environment White Paper and will initially run for a period of up to two years from its launch date yesterday.
