Urban Ecosystems and Green Infrastructure

Course overview

Discover how plants, trees, soils and water can work together to create
healthier, more resilient cities.
Our towns and cities are complex
ecosystems. From street trees and pocket parks to green roofs, rain gardens and
sustainable drainage systems, green infrastructure can play a vital role in
responding to the environmental challenges of urban living.
This one-day
course explores the ecology of the urban environment and examines how green
infrastructure can be designed to deliver multiple benefits for people, plants
and wildlife.
We will consider the pressures experienced by urban landscapes,
including heat, drought, flooding, pollution, soil compaction and habitat
fragmentation, and explore how thoughtful planting and landscape design can help
address these challenges.

Modules

You will explore:• Understanding the urban ecosystem• The role of trees, plants and soils in cities• Urban heat and the cooling effects of vegetation• Water management, rain gardens and SuDS• Habitat creation and urban biodiversity• Connectivity and ecological networks