Cities Alive: Rethinking Green Infrastructure highlights the social, economic and environmental benefits of green infrastructure, including case studies of best practice from across the world.

Urban landscapes are increasingly being designed to support efficiency, community health, climate adaptation, space security, resource production, and economic development. Our cities are facing an uncertain future, which may include underground roads and automated transport, permeable pavements and water roofs, vertical farming and even glowing trees.

Supported by the Landscape Institute and Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, Cities Alive names five key requirements that would have significant implications for the future design of cities.

• Recognising ‘urban green’ as more than an aesthetic consideration

• Making landscapes work harder through a multi-functional design approach

• Designing creatively to deliver a green city ecosystem

• Utilising advances in technology to measure the value nature delivers through ecosystem services

• Maintaining an integrated approach to delivery that better links and connects policy