In Sint-Niklaas, where they have the largest market square in Belgium (3.19 hectares), they have taken on the challenge to make it more green. After working together with different partners,  the final plan for its blue-green redevelopment is ready. There will be a water feature in front of the town hall, much more greenery, such as a grass square of 1500 square meters and a variety of trees and plants, providing more opportunities for people to relax and children to play. It is in our opinion a nice example of incorporating nature for sustainable urban development in a city centre.

Our Research Director Dr Andrea Armstrong, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference  that take place from Tuesday 30 August to Friday 2 September 2022 at Newcastle University.

US President Joe Biden has signed a $375bn bill that aims to fight climate change.

Formula E, an all-electric racing championship, was founded in 2011 and the first race was in Beijing, China in 2014. It has 12 – 14 venues around the world and has exclusive rights from Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to stage an electric world championship until 2039.

Silent Spring Consultants was today in Newcastle for the kick off of a new project with one of our regular clients.

Analysis by NASA has revealed that global average surface temperatures in 2018 and 2021 were the 6th warmest on record. In 2021, global temperatures were 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.85 degrees Celsius) above the average baseline period which is between 1951-1980. The video produced by NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio is in degrees Celsius.

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 provides a global overview of progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, using the latest available data and estimates. It tracks the global and regional progress towards the 17 Goals with in-depth analyses of selected indicators for each Goal.

Toxic air kills more than 8 million people worldwide each year, and is responsible for a range of health problems, including asthma, heart disease, premature births and reduced cognitive performance.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the burden of outdoor air pollution falls disproportionately on people in low and middle-income countries, where 91 percent of premature pollution-related deaths take place, according to the WHO.

On World Environment Day 2021, the United Nations declared a Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. The key principles of Ecosystem Restoration are:

In July 2022, the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) published the World Cities Report - Envisaging the Future of Cities. The report stresses that building resilience must be at the heart of the cities of the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has occupied global attention since 2020 but as the report warns, this is not the only threat that cities may face.

SSC is looking forward to taking part in the annual Network Nature Event at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels where experts will discuss the issue of upscaling nature-based solutions in policy and practice.