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