What if people were rewarded for de-paving gardens as a climate solution?
Elaine France
Helping problem-solvers for the planet use foresight to imagine, design & create flourishing futures with their communities.
I lived in London for nearly 20 years, before coming to Switzerland.
I remember, back in the day, probably around 2002, a heat wave + a rain storm = surface water like a river down the high street. One of my friends lost her flipflops as she tried to walk and as a group, we all watched them - the flip-flips - sail away into oblivion never to be seen again.
Much to my chagrin now, at the time I didn't stop to think about why that flooding was happening: either the climate emergency or why so much surface water. I'm not sure many people did. Not least because we were also the generation being bombarded by TV Garden Design Shows, which promoted the aesthetic of paved, stoned, decked gardens for ease of living and tidiness.
That was the past. The present is very different. Heat waves. 2023 as the hottest year ever recorded. People dying because of flash floods in cities and rural areas.
Which makes the London Climate Resilience Review 2024 a valuable signal of change. In reporting its publication in July 2024, , the press honed in on one particular aspect: the suggestion of taxing people for having paved gardens. Of course, this story has more facets and is much bigger than headlines screamed.
It's a superb report. You should read it...just because.
I'm picking up key area #2 water management: please note though, I don't pretend to go into all of the key areas or signals articulated in the report or key area.
In cities, surface water is caused by impermeable areas of land - the report has a focus on paved, stoned and decked gardens - which prevent stormwater from being absorbed by soil and draining away. It highlights massive risks that surface water from flash floods presents to life and infrastructure...and thus economic stability.
In response, the report cites some really interesting signals of change happening now, which could unfold incredible ways to resolve this problem, especially around rewards and incentives for ordinary people to take action.
All of which meant that I started wondering what alternative futures might look like to share with you, based on these signals, where gardens in cities were de-paved, de-stoned, de-decked - especially in areas of deprivation.
I'm just touching the surface (no pun intended) with what I've captured below, of what could be an incredible exercise in innovation and strategy development around the strategic question of "What is the future of reducing surface water in cities by 2030?"
Plus, how amazing to use foresight in this way for neighbourhood engagement, to win hearts and minds on climate action in communities.
Take a look. Share your own insights in the comments.
Plus, don't hesitate to get in touch for some consultancy support!
The Past, the Present and a Plausible, Preferred Future
With a rapid capture of the past and some present signals pushing us forward, there are the makings of an incredible plausible, preferred future to explore.
What then of a plausible, preferred future for reducing surface water in cities by 2030?
This is a future where the common headline is "Neighbourhoods Go Green to Tackle Surface Water!"
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The systems of 2030 in this future might look like this (definitely not exhaustive as a list)...I especially like taxing the rich :)
Imagine the culture in this future is, "We're not just solving a surface water problem or hitting net-zero targets, we're are actively increasing our neighbourhood's health and wealth."
And a metaphor that describes the essence of this future? Smashing Gardeners...we become immersed in remove the stone, paving and decking to take ownership at a local level of creating spongy green surfaces, and being rewarded for doing so.
Even rapidly exploring the outline of a preferred futures scenario like this, gives us clues on how to take action today with a wide range of stakeholders and especially ordinary people.
Would you sign up for this TV Show? Would you be a Smashing Gardener on Smashing Gardens?
This week, whether you're walking around a city or a rural location, check-out the paved gardens and driveways and start imagining new solutions with climate action in mind.
The more you reflect on it, given there is a definitive need, the more opportunities for incredible innovation will pop into your mind across the whole system.
You could actually get started today!
Classes for Individuals
If you're a Circular Economy Founder, I’ll be running the next Exploring Future Impact: Foresight for Founders online class on 18 September at 17h-19h. Discover more and sign up.
Workshops for Teams and Organizations
As Impact Investors, Incubators and Accelerators build the resilience of the start-ups in your portfolio with an Identifying Impact: Climate Foresight workshop. Get in touch for a discovery call at [email protected]
(C) 2024. Elaine France. All rights reserved.
In the city's heart, the earth once lay, Covered by gardens in green array. Now paved and pressed, it yearns to breathe, For nature’s touch, a quiet reprieve. To de-pave the streets, to let them sing, Is to return to what the earth can bring. In soil's embrace, we find the way, Where water flows and flowers sway. Let us, the gardeners, play our part, Reclaiming life, a work of heart.