Amy Dilwyn Park, Swansea
Thursday 19 March
9am to 4.30pm
Urban HQ, 37 Orchard Street, Swansea SA1 5AJ
For decision makers, developers and built environment professionals, one of the biggest challenges is managing surface water in urban areas and reducing flood risk.
How do we catch it, clean it, use it and return it safely to the environment?
Nature-based Solutions and Green Infrastructure offer practical answers. When done well, they deliver multiple benefits for people, nature and the economy and create healthier, more resilient places.
This one-day conference brings together leading experts from policy, academia, local government and industry for a rare opportunity to learn directly from those shaping best practice in climate adaptation.
Through keynote talks, in-depth workshops and site visits, the day will focus on what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to happen next.
Places are limited and demand is expected to be high. Early booking is strongly recommended.
By the end of the day, you’ll have:
- A clearer picture of how Green Infrastructure is funded and financed
- Practical insight into planning Green Infrastructure and securing buy-in
- An understanding of what long-term maintenance really involves, as well as the benefits it provides
- A working knowledge of Swansea’s sponge city approach to managing surface water
- Learning from real projects, including rain gardens and bio-solar green roofs
- Insight into how community-led approaches strengthen Green Infrastructure
- Ideas you can apply directly to your own projects or places
Who you’ll hear from:
Speakers from Welsh Government, academia, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales, industry specialists, designers, installers and community-led organisations.
Conference schedule:
9am – 9:30am
Registration and refreshments
Arrival, registration and plant-based refreshments. An opportunity to meet other delegates and explore the exhibition area.
9:30am – 10am
Welcome and opening address
Claire Bennett – Director of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability, Welsh Government
An opening address setting the national context for climate change adaptation in Wales and the role of Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions in policy and practice.
10am – 11am
Financing Green Infrastructure
Blanche Cameron – Associate Professor of Environmental Design, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
We know we need to green our towns and cities, but who is going to pay for it?
This session explores the financial case for Green Infrastructure, including insurance perspectives, funding models and experiences of financing Green Infrastructure in Wales and at combined authority level. Additional speakers to be confirmed.
11am – 11:30am
Break
Tea and coffee available.
11:30am – 12:30pm
Morning workshops
(Pick One)
Workshop option 1
Planning for Green Infrastructure
Gary Grant – International Green Infrastructure master planning and design expert, lead author of Defra/Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework
Penny Gruffydd – Landscape and Green Infrastructure Principal Officer, Swansea Council
How to secure buy-in and commitment across organisations. International and local lessons on planning, delivery and embedding Green Infrastructure into everyday decision making.
Workshop option 2
Maintaining Green Infrastructure for climate adaptation
John Little – Grass Roof Company, Hilldrop and Care not Capital
Chris Bridgman – Gardens in the Sky
Maintaining capital investments for long-term climate adaptation.
Exploring traditional and emerging approaches to Green Infrastructure maintenance, workforce development and skills for the future.
Workshop option 3
Swansea’s sponge city journey
Fran Rolfe – Natural Resources Wales
Kevin Barton – Managing Director, Robert Bray Associates
Managing water through multiple nature-based solutions across Swansea. Working with nature to reduce flood risk while supporting wellbeing, biodiversity and the local economy.
12:30pm – 2pm
Lunch, networking and exhibition
Plant-based buffet lunch.
Time to network and talk with exhibitors from across the Green Infrastructure supply chain.
2pm – 4pm
Afternoon workshops and site visits
(Pick One)
Workshop option 1
Sustainable drainage at ground level
Kevin Barton – Managing Director, Robert Bray Associates
A practical session on the detailed design and installation of rain gardens in highways.
Learn how surface water is captured, held and cleaned, including a visit to recently installed rain gardens in Sandfields.
Workshop option 2
Retrofitting bio-solar green roofs
Chris Bridgman – Gardens in the Sky, Vice Chair of the Green Roof Organisation
Dusty Gedge – International Ambassador, European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations
How rooftops can hold water, generate energy and reduce the impact of heatwaves.
Hear from international and UK experts on bio-solar green roofs, including local retrofit projects and a site visit.
Workshop option 3
Greening the city with the community
Becky Cole – Codi Housing Group
Stepheni Keys – Codi Housing Group
Kate McCabe – Urban Foundry
Why involving communities from the start is critical to successful Green Infrastructure.
Learn from local projects developed with communities and visit a live example on the ground.
4pm – 4:30pm
Summing up and close
Keynote speaker to be confirmed.
Reflections on the day, key learning and next steps.
Stay around after the conference:
5pm – 7pm
Anti-Social at Urban HQ
Drinks and informal networking at Urban HQ for anyone who would like to continue the conversation.
From 7pm onwards
Optional continued networking
For those who wish to carry on into the evening, there will be a nominated nearby venue for food and drinks. Delegates are welcome to join and buy their own dinner.
Who the conference is for:
This event is aimed at people working across Swansea, South Wales and the South West, including:
- Built environment professionals
- Decision makers and policy makers
- Planning and housing
- Development, regeneration and highways
- Environment and sustainability teams
- Public and private sector organisations
- Water management and flood risk
- Architects, landscape architects and designers
- Climate change and climate adaptation professionals
- Insurance and risk
- Construction and maintenance contractors
- Ecologists and heritage professionals
About the venue:
Urban HQ is a creative business hub and café in Swansea city centre. It is a social enterprise run by one of the event partners, Urban Foundry.
It is two minutes from the train station, which also offers £5 per day parking, and is well served by local bus routes. There is also NCP Swansea Orchard Street very close by, plus other City Centre car parks and accessible parking options. Bike parking is available within the courtyard at Urban HQ, on Orchard Street and Alexandra Road.
Partners and funding
This scheme is funded by the Welsh Government. Part-funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through Project REPAIR, led by Swansea University in partnership with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, University College London, Hacer Developments, Codi Group, Natural Resources Wales, and Swansea Council.
