Valuing Attractive Landscapes in the Urban Economy

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AIM: To demonstrate the economic value of green infrastructure at the city/region scale and to show how to target green investments to maximise competitive benefits to communities throughout NWE. Green infrastructure* is a valuable part of our urban economy. However. as urbanisation increases throughout NWE. public and private greenspaces are being lost to housing and commercial developments. A key challenge is to establish where to target green infrastructure investments at the city/region scale. to deliver the greatest economic benefits. We must also modernise planning systems to ensure that high quality green infrastructure is protected and built-in to the urban fabric. This requires hard evidence demonstrating the value of greenspaces. because politicians listen most to economic arguments. The long-term impact of this project will be improved territorial cooperation policy across NWE regions. based on hard economic evidence that proves the value of green infrastructure in support of strong and prosperous communities. *Green infrastructure can be defined as the network of multifunctional open spaces. parks. waterways. trees and woodlands needed to support a high quality of life in and around our towns and cities.

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