ABSTRACT
This chapter explores a key difference between green space in general and Green Infrastructure (GI) designed specifically for stormwater management, noting that conventional green space may not always be capable of mitigating runoff, but the latter has a significant role to play in doing so. Climate change will impact the urban environment, and these impacts will be felt by both people and the built infrastructure. The biophysical features of green space in urban areas, through the provision of cooler microclimates and reduction of surface water runoff, therefore offer potential to help adapt cities for climate change. The modelling work presented here suggests that the use of urban green space offers significant potential in moderating the increase in summer temperatures expected with climate change. The research findings presented here are significant because they begin to quantify the potential of the green infrastructure to moderate climate change impacts in towns and cities.
