ABSTRACT
The connective and ecological systems principles of green infrastructure promote its use as a dynamic form of landscape planning. As our knowledge of green infrastructure has grown over the last decade, we have seen substantial growth in our understanding of how water systems, ecological networks and nature-based solutions (NBS) can be integrated into development. Debates, however, continue arguing how landscape practitioners can promote greater multi-functionality within our rural environment. Advocates have subsequently proposed that green infrastructure can integrate the aspirations of people to access and interact with nature, while simultaneously supporting ecosystem services, effective water management and wildlife enhancement. To examine the successes of such proposals, this chapter discusses how green infrastructure thinking has been applied to landscape planning in both the UK and more globally to address landscape-scale planning issues. Using examples from community forestry, reflections on compliance with the European Landscape Convention (ELC) and Water Framework Directive (WFD), and the promotion of landscape-scale ecosystem services, the chapter illustrates the breadth of options that green infrastructure offers to landscape planners to deliver social, ecological and economic benefits.
