With many urban areas undergoing transformations in how they tackle challenges of climate change and its associated environmental issues, many are looking towards developing and implementing visions for 'blue-green' urban futures. The term 'blue-green' refers to infrastructure use of blue elements, such as rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, flood plains, and water treatment facilities, and green elements, including trees, forests, fields, and parks in urban and land-use planning.
The blue-green plan for Hull and East Riding is Living With Water's example project of partnership working between Yorkshire Water, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the Environment Agency, and the University of Hull, to develop a long-term vision to be more flood and climate resilient with ideas to inspire and build confidence for successful delivery. The project aims to successfully manage surface water through connection, co-alignment, and co-creation with non-water systems, such as transport and housing, to enable interventions to be delivered at a lower cost and lower carbon.
Living With Water was created to help protect their area by building understanding about the threats and opportunities water brings. There are already plans for a range of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) to help manage surface water caused by rainfall including:
- water butts
- rain gardens
- wet woodlands
- permeable paving
- green roofs