Green infrastructure

Generally, the idea behind “green infrastructure” is to have land use decisions take account of natural ecosystems.  In the U.S. the idea has received some attention in "smart growth" circles and in EPA's encouragement of green approaches to storm water management.

Several northern European countries seem to have gone further with the idea, particularly France.  At the end of December, the government there published regulations aimed at implementing a broad approch to green infrastructure at the national and local levels.  They've been criticized for not doing enough, but I’m not aware of another country than has taken the idea further and done more to make it part of public policy.

In French the idea of green infrastrucure is referred to as la trame verte et bleue.  The “trame” in cloth refers to the weft, the threads woven crosswise through the woof.  In la trave verte et bleue the term is used metaphorically referring to the ecological weft that supports life.  “Verte” refers to the land portions and “bleue” to the aquatic portions.  As this little diagram indicates (looking more like something from a biology text than from weaving), the idea of green infrastructure in this sense goes beyond individual nature preserves or park-like greenways.  It’s meant to take account of the fact that animals and plants may have patterms of movement or migration that go beyond isolated areas.  Thus, environmental planners try to identify these patterns and indicate corridors between preserves.

From: http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/content/definition-green-infrastructure

In France a national committee has been charged with developing a framework planning document, "Orientations nationales pour la préservation et la remise en bon état des continuités écologiques.” (National approaches for preservation and restoration of ecological continuities).  Similar documents are to be developed at the regional level.  Once these have been drafted, and subjected to public review and comment, things will get interesting.  The ecological networks identified are meant to be taken into account in national infrastructure projects, things like highways, TGV lines, etc, as well as in local land use planning.  The implications are considerable, to say the least.