The Blue Green Dream project enhances the synergy between urban water systems (blue assets) and urban vegetated areas (green assets) and provides effective, multifunctional Blue Green Solutions (BGS).
The Problem
The mass of concrete, asphalt, glass, steel and other impervious materials that forms our cityscape disrupts natural responses to weather and natural cycles, exacerbating temperature increases and creating urban heat islands. The water cycle is affected, as drainage and flooding become problematic and groundwater reserves aren’t replenished. Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions grow, and energy demand increases.
The Solution
Blue Green solutions (BGS) is a unique methodology and toolkit that allows developers and planners to adopt ‘nature-based solutions’ as part of a systematic approach to these problems: for example, by integrating green space, trees and natural drainage into the urban environment. Blue Green Solutions encourages developers to adopt nature-based solutions by focusing on the co-benefits for a wider group of stakeholders.
The Impact
Blue Green has delivered its first commercial successes, including a new campus at the University of Zagreb. The scheme uses a variety of species of trees in its design, each tailored to a specific use. New ways of collecting and storing energy, including solar collectors and photovoltaics, were installed on the campus to make use of ground source storage and screened subsurfaces for heating and cooling. As a result, the campus has made energy reductions of 92 per cent on cooling and 68 per cent on heat, compared to conventional heating and cooling systems.
EIT Climate KIC’s Role
The ‘Blue Green Dream’ was developed under EIT Climate-KIC’s incubation services between 2012 and 2015, giving the team from Imperial College London access to funding, master- classes and business coaching. Access to our partner network was also crucial in developing 13 demonstration sites across Europe. Blue Green founder, academic-turned-entrepreneur Professor Maksimović credits EIT Climate-KIC with helping turn his research into practical, real-world impact. Blue Green Dream has since become Blue Green Solutions, now an EIT Climate-KIC Scaler project, and a spin-out consultancy firm, Blue Green Global.
For more information visit Blue Green Solutions.
The Blue Green Solutions Guide
The Blue Green Solutions Guide presents the innovative, systematic framework created by Imperial College London researchers, with the support of EIT Climate-KIC, to harness the power of nature-based solutions to deliver attractive cities and developments that are resilient, sustainable and cost-efficient.
Find out more by downloading the guide or watching our video.