It is all too easy for the vogue term 'green infrastructure' to be waved around by local authorities and developers like a totem of environmental awareness, while simply meaning 'greenspace' or 'storm water management'. This book provides a welcome corrective, demonstrating the need to plan the natural environment of cities as integral to their effective social, economic, ecological and aesthetic function. The impressive range of topics includes green infrastructure and health, air quality, biodiversity, water and recreation, and the book shows through policy discussion and case study how principles can be converted into practice. It will be an essential source for students, researchers and practitioners.' - Hugh Barton, University of the West of England, UK'Green infrastructure is an essential feature of social, economic and environmental planning for all places. This important and very comprehensive book will be essential reading for all those involved in its provision and promotion. It offers an exceptionally informative contextual review and it is exemplified throughout by a series of domestic and international case studies at a variety of scales. Its methodological discussion and examples will be of considerable value to all those engaged in the delivery of green infrastructure.' - Janice Morphet, University College London, UK Green infrastructure encompasses many features in the built environment. It is widely recognised as a valuable resource in our towns and cities and it is therefore crucial to understand, create, protect and manage this resource. This Handbook sets the context for green infrastructure as a means to make urban environments more resilient, sustainable, liveable and equitable. Including state-of-the-art reviews that summarise the existing knowledge as well as research findings, this Handbook provides current evidence for the beneficial impact of green infrastructure on health, environmental quality and the economy. It discusses the planning and design of green infrastructure as a strategic network down to the individual features in a neighbourhood and looks at the process of green infrastructure implementation, emphasising the importance of collaboration across multiple professions and sectors. This comprehensive volume operates at multiple spatial scales, from strategic networks at the regional level to individual features in neighbourhoods, with international case studies used throughout to illustrate key examples of good practice. This collection of expert contributions will be invaluable to students and academics in the fields of planning, urban studies and geography. Practitioners and policy-makers will also find the policy discussion and examples enlightening. Contributors include: J.H. Amorim, A. Barker, S. Burgess, T. Butlin, T. Butterworth, C. Calfapietra, L. Chawla, N. Collomb, A. Coombs, E. Costa Pinto, C. Dair, V. Derr, K.J. Doick, G. Everett, T. Ferguson, P. Freer-Smith, S. Gill, C. Goncalves, C. Greed, S. Grimmond, S. Kotthaus, J. Lamond, E. Lawson, F. Lemes De Oliveira, M. Lindsey, S. Manley, J. Marques-Da-Cruz, I. Mell, A.I. Miranda, A.J. Moffat, P. Nolan, C. Olver, S. Payne, A. Quintas, A. Rigolon, S. Rolls, M. Short, P. Silva, E. Silveirinha De Oliveira, D. Sinnett, N. Smith, T. Sunderland, M.J. Tallis, P.Toscano, C. Ward Thompson, K. Williams, J. Wilson