Greening London: boosting urban biodiversity with NLA

How can London become a greener, and more nature-rich city? And what role do biodiversity strategies, urban greening, and planning tools have to play?

Rhys Williams, associate director in our London studio, will join NLA’s event exploring urban greening on Wednesday 25th June, from 6.15pm at the London centre. 

Speakers will discuss how architects, engineers and developers are increasing urban biodiversity in London to achieve a greener city. 

Rhys will share his insights on the benefits of adopting a system thinking approach, drawing on best practice examples like Lambeth’s sustainable urban drainage strategy, the regeneration of Sutton Estate, and Gascoigne Estate East.

Nurturing urban biodiversity provides a wide range of important benefits to the health of city inhabitants from protecting natural ecosystems to improving the wellbeing and social cohesion of human residents. 

Greening in our cities can even assist with essential services like water drainage and reducing the urban heat island effect which can result in decreased costs on energy, property maintenance and healthcare.

The UK is actively taking measures to encourage increased urban biodiversity. Last year, the pioneering Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements were introduced which made it mandatory for all major developments in the UK to increase measurable biodiversity value by 10% on their sites. 

In London, striking the balance of increasing urban green space while densifying is key to green growth with a goal to make more than half of London’s area covered by green space by 2050.