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ParkCity

A two day conference organised in partnership with Natural England to promote the benefits of investing in green infrastructure to create sustainable cities.

Why we organised the event

The aim of the conference was to educate professionals working in the public, private and third sectors working in regeneration, health and environment about the benefits of green infrastructure and encourage them to prioritise investment in parks, trees and open spaces.

The conference promoted the latest experience in green infrastructure planning in North America, continental Europe and the UK, including the landscape-driven regeneration approach developed for the London 2012 Olympic Park.

Event supporters included The City of London; The Forestry Commission; The Land Restoration Trust; Cambridgeshire Horizons; Greening the Gateway Kent and Medway; The Northwest Regional Development Agency; Natural Economy Northwest; The Mersey Forest; and One North East.

About the event

The conference took place on 24 and 25 March 2009 in central London and included international speakers, seminars, roundtable discussions and site visits. A conference dinner was held at the Guildhall on 24 March.

The event was chaired by John Vidal, Environment editor at The Guardian.

Event speakers

Speakers at the event included:

  • Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP
  • Peter Bishop, Design for London
  • William McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle
  • Majora Carter, community activist
  • Sir Bob Kerslake, Homes and Communities Agency
  • Edward T McMahon, Senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute
  • George Hargreaves, Senior principal at Hargreaves Associates

There were site visits covering topics that included green roofs and streets; green grids; green communities; green heritage; and green rivers.

Round table discussions examined good practice examples from around the country, including Natural Economy Northwest’s strategic approach to green infrastructure in the North West region; the East London Green Grid; Bankside Urban Forest; and green infrastructure in the Tees Valley.

Outcomes

The event was attended by delegates from a wide variety of backgrounds who gave excellent feedback about how the event increased their understanding of green infrastructure.

The event generated good media coverage including two articles in The Guardian.