Blue Green Solutions

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Blue Green Solutions Guide

Metrics for indicators. The BG Team will 

determine what metrics are required for 

the indicators and which type of analysis 

is required to obtain these metrics - both 

for the existing area and for candidate 

concept solutions for the site, in order that 

quantitative comparisons can be made. 

Included in this analysis are consultations 

with Quantity Surveyors on costs/

economics.

Solution optimisation and selection. Using 

the outputs from step 5, the planning 

team and city management, with the BG 

Team’s assistance, will select optimal 

solutions to produce a detailed design 

brief. The optimisation process is based 

on a matrix of interactions between urban 

components, which will be discussed in 

the next chapter.

Excerpts from a sample Goal-Driven Planning Matrix 

10

The Goal Driven Planning Matrix

The BG System approach facilitates the 

systematic participation of all key stakeholders in 

the formulation of the client requirements/project 

design brief. Active stakeholder involvement in the 

preparation of the Brief is achieved through their 

role in completing the Goal Driven Planning Matrix 

(GDPM). This includes a systematic process for 

defining the developer’s requirements, consulting 

with approval bodies and holding consultative 

workshops with the public. Through this process, 

we make sure that the needs of all stakeholders 

are represented to deliver a solution of maximum 

stakeholder benefit.

The GDPM has been developed to ensure a 

systematic analysis of the developer’s goals, the 

available resources, and full participation of all 

relevant stakeholders. The GDPM (an example of 

which is shown in Figure 10) is populated during 

the aforementioned stages through the following 

six activities (Figure 9):

 Definition. These are the strategic project 

/ city goals as determined by strategy 

planners/makers.

Target identification. To reach each goal, a 

number of targets have to be developed. 

The BG team work with the strategy makers 

and planners to define these targets.

Definition of indicators to meet targets. 

The BG Team will define quantifiable 

indicators for each target.

Project functions and concepts. Project 

planners, together with members of the 

project/city management team, personnel 

from the city approval bodies and members 

of the wider public, work with the BG Team 

to specify required project functions and 

potential conceptual solutions designed to 

meet each target.

GOALS

TARGETS

FUNCTIONS

& CONCEPTS

/ INDICATORS

CITY FACILITIES 

/ BG ANALYSIS

1. EU POLICY

    COMPLIANCE

......................................__......................................__......................................'>......................................

Cheaper to buy

......................................

Value for money

Profiling of market

Tourist attractions

Promotion of culture 

5. CLIMATE CHANGE

     RESILIENCE

3. SUSTAINABILITY

4. ..............................

6. ..............................

7. PROFITABILITY

8. ..............................

9. INTERNATIONAL

     PROFILE

Lower running costs

Integration of local

community

Enhanced indoor

comfort

Sustainability and

urban resilience

1. Outdoor 

Environmental Quality 

appraisal for all 

comfort indicators

3. Analysis of project 

enhancements 

delivered against 

standard (business as 

usual) conditions

......................................

......................................

......................................

......................................

......................................

......................................

Improved outdoor 

comfort

OEQ* Indicators for 

each comfort category: 

Thermal comfort; 

Auditory comfort; 

Visual comfort 

*OEQ = Outdoor 

  Environmental Quality

......................................

......................................

......................................

2. MARKETING

Other influences: 

Street Urban (street) 

canyon effect; Wind 

direction; Building 

orientation; Ratio

building height/width

Secondary side street 

effects; Combination 

with temperatures

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Blue Green Solutions Guide

4 Quantification of the Benefits 

of BG Solutions

A central feature of the BG Systems, planning 

methodology is quantification of the key project 

interactions and their effects on project quality 

and life-cycle costs. Practically, this is achieved by 

systematic implementation of three specifically 

designed tools, namely:

Interaction matrix. Maps all possible 

interactions between urban components.

Cost dependency matrix. Maps possible 

capital cost reductions utilising synergy 

benefits identified by the interaction 

matrix.

Climate resilience matrix. Applies all 

possible climate change scenarios to the 

interaction and cost dependency matrices 

and quantifies resilience indicators.

The Interaction Matrix

The central tool for identifying all relevant 

interactions between urban components, 

including BG solutions, is the matrix of interactions. 

Within the matrix, urban components are 

categorised as follows (Figure 11):

Urban Solutions. Building orientation 

and massing. Street orientation and 

shapes. Topography and urban amenities. 

Infrastructure services (e.g. sewers).

Greenery. Grass, gardens, meadows, 

shrubs, trees and other vegetated areas 

including those on roofs and facades. 

Combinations with other materials.

Water Management (potentially integrated) 

of rainfall, drinking wastewater and treated 

effluent, ground (sub-surface) and surface 

water bodies.

Building Solutions. Efficient building 

envelopes, energy systems, indoor water 

services.  

Energy. Locally available renewable energy, 

conventional energy and waste (heat) 

energy.

Pollution. Thermal pollution, air pollution 

(quality), sound pollution and visual 

pollution etc.

Climate Variability. Weather extremes: heat 

and cold waves, droughts, extreme rain, 

snow and storms.

Urban components interact with each other 

and some interactions produce synergies that 

can be exploited for the benefit of the project. 

All interactions are therefore systematically 

mapped, modelled and quantified to enable the 

design team to make a decision using quantified 

performance indicators. 

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