Nature Smart Cities Business Model: An Examination Of The Financing Options Available To Local Authorities To Fund Urban Greening Programmes

Green Infrastructure (GI) offers significant advantages to urban areas in terms of liveability, sustainability, reducing the impacts of climate change, and encouraging economic regeneration, however, local authorities often find it hard to source the investment necessary to invest in GI.

This report, commissioned by Southend Borough Council and Imperial College London as part of the "Nature Smart Cities" Interreg Across The 2 Seas Programme, explores the options for local authorities seeking private sector investment in GI, unpicks the opportunities and challenges, and examines some of the potential systemic barriers facing local authorities who may wish to look to the private sector to help to build and maintain green infrastructure.