As the population, economy and urban built environment in the Gauteng City-Region (GCR) expand, the government is increasingly under pressure to provide urban infrastructure to support growth. It is more and more important that this infrastructure is sustainable to minimise the negative environmental impacts often associated with traditional forms of urban development. Green Infrastructure (GI) can achieve this. GI is the interconnected set of natural and man-made ecological systems, green spaces and other landscape features that provide services and strategic functions in the same way as traditional infrastructure. In harnessing the benefits of ecosystem services, GI is a more efficient, cost effective and sustainable alternative – and sometimes accompanying approach – to conventional forms of infrastructure….more
