There is a growing acceptance that construction projects, whether commercial developments, housing estates, infrastructure, or public-sector projects, all have the potential to damage natural habitats, threatening wildlife and plant species.

Biodiversity indicators are being used by the construction industry to protect sensitive sites and minimise damage to ecology.

It is beyond dispute that laying down swathes of concrete will exacerbate flooding by causing run-off. Alternatives are needed to blacktop, either through more green infrastructure or permeable surfacing.

Water companies are showing an interest in schemes that manage run-off during flash floods. This marks a turning point, widening possibilities as new funding becomes available.

New partnerships are needed between landowners, developers, architects, water companies, transport planners and engineers, urban designers, suppliers and consultants to alleviate the impacts of extreme weather.

All stakeholders should work together to create more resilient environments. A range of complementary measures should be implemented in a cohesive, inter-connected way – comprising SuDS, rain gardens, pocket parks, planters, green screens, green roofs, increased tree canopy cover and drainage systems.

This will require re-allocation of road and kerbspace, replacing space for cars with green + blue spaces.

The event will include keynote presentations, debates and workshops on the following themes:

• The latest green + blue innovations
• The virtuous circle: how green infrastructure will encourage modal shift
• Co-designing schemes with communities
• How to ensure that schemes are maintained with support with communities
• Developing multi-disciplinary partnerships to implement the right schemes
• Why green infrastructure is good for local economies
• Multi-functional infrastructure: Water as an asset rather than a liability
• Identifying new funding sources – making use of asset renewal budgets, S106 etc
• How monitoring of rain gardens is revealing how they alleviate the impact of flash floods

The conference is designed for planners and engineers working in local authority, urban planners and landscape architects, landowners and developers, water and flood management professionals.

It will demonstrate the latest thinking in:

• Sustainable urban drainage
• Flood prevention techniques
• Biodiversity net gains
• Community engagement
• Scheme maintenance and longevity
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Partnership working
• Routes to Funding

Bursary and sponsored places - a number of supported places have been made available via event partners and sponsors. To express your interest in a support public sector place, please contact Daniel Simpson - daniel@landor.co.uk