The Green Infrastructure Working Group began getting to grips with the extensive literature and many plans.  We found the Blue-Green Cities Research project was the best academic paper of those in the references. It was also thought the All London Green Grid is well worth looking at. The Victoria BID Green Infrastructure Audit best practice guide sets out how to go about an audit, developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating a programme.

New York's 'Parks without Borders' inspired Sam Parry, Hackney Parks Development Officer, to research development of green corridors in the USA and Oslo.  Some of the schemes in Sam's presentation are BIG: Boston's Emerald Necklace is 45 ha of connected green space,  New York's Highline greened an abandoned railway and for Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway they buried a road.  Even with more modest ambitions and funding, it's quite easy to see on the map how Hackney's splendid parks and gardens can be connected up to build resilience and support biodiversity.  Discussion focussed on the importance of balancing demands and the need for funding, particularly for maintenance.

We also discussed the Stoke Newington gyratory changes in detail.  You can read the comments submitted here. 

Hackney Council are consulting on the Local Implementation Plan 2019-2022 (Transport Plan) until 16 December and the Local Plan 2033 until 07 Jan – please comment.

Minutes of the first two Greening Infrastructure Working Group meetings are attached.