Green Infrastructure and Urban Transformation: Interdisciplinary Showcasing Workshop

Green Infrastructure (GI) as both a research topic and policy objective, is uniquely positioned at the intersection of a broad range of disciplines that straddle both the physical and social sciences. In recent years there has been considerable growth in GI-related academic research, due to evidence of a catalogue of benefits related to biodiversity, climate change, health and wellbeing, amongst others. This agenda is notable both for its rapid emergence but also for the diversity of perspectives and the potential for productive cross-discipline learning. However, the intersecting and frequently competing demands for GI present a considerable challenge for policy and research. To begin to address these challenges, the Green Infrastructures and Urban Transformations Workshop brought together a range of stakeholders from across the Northwest of England. The aim of the workshop was to build up a holistic picture of current research and activities in GI, providing a forum in which stakeholders could share insights from a variety of specialist fields. The workshop aimed to foster a dialogue amongst different perspectives, sharing best practice, common challenges and conceptual developments. It represented a novel cross-sector networking opportunity for academic, industry and practitioner GI experts to reach across traditional silos, with the aim of fostering an interdisciplinary network.