When transport infrastructure projects are given the go ahead how can we ensure that they are not just delivered as standalone engineering projects, but by working across policy sectors how can the wider economic and social benefits be maximised?
There are examples of how some of these tough questions have been answered on the ground in real projects – from the wider bespoke economic strategy within which the Borders railway reopening in Scotland was anchored to the way in which smokestack Aalborg in Denmark reinvented itself.
Big cities will continue to be vital to the UK economy (indeed there’s a strong argument that they should be bigger and denser) but the surrounding towns should be more than dead moons orbiting superstar cities. They need to develop their own stronger gravitational pull.
Sponge cities
If urban centres are to keep their cool as climate change destabilises the weather then they need to get spongier. And not only spongier but have more space for farming, water roofs, smart weather coverings as well as glowing trees and pavements. But let’s start with sponge cities. When rain hits a city of brick and concrete that city’s infrastructure is pre-set to channel as much of that water as quickly as possible into drains and rivers. The more intense that rain the more the system is likely to generate floods, chaos and disaster. Sponge cities aim to reduce flood risk and keep themselves cool by getting better at imitating how nature does it. Which means more rooftop gardens, greenery on the ground, and more heat resistant road and permeable road surfaces. Indeed wherever possible avoiding sealing up too much of the ground surface with concrete or tarmac and wherever possible making water surfaces permeable. In short the colour of a city when viewed from the air should shift from grey to green.
Sponge cities can also mean more urban farming or at least more urban forests. Go to Singapore and high rises sprouting vertical forests are less than rare. Water roofs could also temporarily hold storm water and in future bioluminescence technology could mean urban trees could light themselves to provide more secure and attractive public spaces whilst glowing pavements could use particles in pathways to provide environmentally efficient and interesting ways to light urban streets, parks and squares. Urban spaces could roof themselves over automatically depending on the weather or changing function.