Flooding is a big issue in London Victoria, where serious floods have forced this major transport hub to a standstill, affecting the area’s residents, and costing millions in lost revenue for businesses. With increased flooding predicted with climate change, and the Flood Water Management Act (2010) removing the automatic right to connect to sewers, finding ways to adapt is a major priority.
Green infrastructure (GI) mitigates the predicted effects of climate change in a number of ways: it alleviates flooding; reduces the urban heat island effect, reduces wind tunnel effects; and absorbs pollutants.
LUC worked with the Victoria Business Improvement District (BID) — a partnership of businesses in the area, including Microsoft, John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and EDF — to identify where green features can reduce flood risk and make Victoria more climate-adapted and attractive to people and businesses.
To do this, we pioneered an innovative 3D approach to the GI audit, seeking to ‘retrofit’ green features into the urban landscape. LUC, with the help of green roof specialists GRC, undertook an audit of all existing green spaces and street trees, as well as pavements, walls and roofs.
The audit identified a range of opportunities for installing green features, including opportunities to reduce flooding by removing paving, enhance the appearance of the area through street planting, and create space for wildlife. Implementation of these features is underway, and Victoria is on the way to a safer, greener future.
This project was rewarding as it achieves many goals: climate change adaptation, sustainable urban regeneration, and demonstrates the benefits of localism. The engagement of local businesses has been a particular highlight - the project meets the needs of businesses whilst delivering benefits to the local community, and the wider public. We are proud to have developed a new 3D approach, which has excellent potential for application elsewhere to deliver a robust evidence base for local planning.
The study is highlighted as an example of best practice in the Government's Natural Environment White Paper and in England Biodiveristy Group's ThinkBIG report
