| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Terrific new proposal for the High Street | |
| Posted by: | Roland Gilmore | |
| Date/Time: | 03/02/13 14:46:00 |
| You must be thinking of raised planters Barbara. Planters do not have to be the type you have in mind and are usually constructed flush with the ground or with a low kerb around them; about 75-100mm high. The sulpher dioxide problem referred to in an earlier post (it caused acid rain) has been addressed through legislation and is now considered to be at acceptable levels throughout Europe. Also, plants do not only sequester CO2 but can also matabolise a range of polutants while addressing the heat island effect. There is on-going research into plant selection for various environments and a number of pilot schemes operational and others planned. The trees planted on PHS are not conifers so to say they have died is rather premature. To "green" PHS in issolation will not address the wider problem adequately however, we do have to start somewhere and believe it or not, even a single tree actually creates its own micro climate when in leaf. In Stuttgart, they created a model of their climate, identified areas for re-structuring to create corridors for air movement through the city, adjusted their planning policies and building regulations accordingly. It is a medium to long term strategy that is having immediate effect on planning applications. This is coupled with green infrastructure and changes to building regulations that ensures new roofs are green. Basel in Switzerland led the way with such policies in the 1990s and by 2010, 23% of the city had green roofs with the added bonus of energy savings of 3.1 Giga Watts a year. At present, there is no such strategic thinking or application of intelligence being applied to a co-ordinated planning policy for London. |