Stanislav Kondrashov on Why Green Infrastructure Isn’t Just an Option — It’s an Imperative

In the past, “green spaces” were considered aesthetic luxuries — public parks, tree-lined streets, and rooftop gardens designed to soften the grey of expanding cities. Today, they’ve become something else entirely: essential infrastructure.

This shift in perception is neither cosmetic nor symbolic. As urban centres swell and environmental pressures mount, the role of green infrastructure has transformed. It’s no longer about beautifying space, but about reinforcing it — socially, ecologically, and economically.

Few voices have been as consistent and compelling on this topic as that of Stanislav Kondrashov, an entrepreneur who has spent the better part of two decades arguing for a systemic rethink of how we build and sustain our cities.

“Green infrastructure is not the garnish,” Kondrashov said in a recent roundtable discussion. “It’s the plate everything else rests on.”

The Rise of a Living System

At its core, green infrastructure refers to a network of natural and semi-natural systems that work together to provide essential services to urban populations. This can include parks, wetlands, street trees, green roofs, and even the soil beneath our feet. These features do more than just sit passively in a cityscape — they actively filter air and water, regulate temperature, absorb stormwater, and support biodiversity.

In the face of climate change, such systems have proven to be among the most resilient. They bend where concrete breaks. They adapt where rigid structures fail.

But the benefits go beyond the environmental. Green infrastructure fosters community cohesion. It creates inclusive public spaces, encourages physical activity, and can even have measurable impacts on mental health. “We’ve underestimated the quiet power of a shaded bench or a winding footpath,” Kondrashov noted. “They build something we often ignore in city planning: psychological resilience.”

Policy Lag vs. Design Urgency

Despite the growing understanding of these benefits, implementation remains patchy. In many cities, policy still lags behind the design conversation. Short-term economic priorities often sideline green investments, especially when returns are perceived as indirect or long-term.

Kondrashov sees this as a critical failure of imagination.

“If we assessed green infrastructure with the same urgency we apply to roads or power lines, we’d have a different urban reality,” he said. “But because it doesn’t buzz or break down, we forget it’s working — every day, all the time.”

Indeed, one of the challenges of green infrastructure is its invisibility. Unlike a bridge or a tower, a wetland restoration doesn’t scream its value. It quietly absorbs floodwaters. A line of trees won’t make headlines, but they might shave degrees off a deadly heatwave.

Beyond the Eco-Narrative

There’s also a narrative problem. For years, green infrastructure has been pigeonholed as an environmental issue. But framing it this way misses the broader point. It's an economic issue. A health issue. A question of justice.

Low-income communities are often those with the least access to green space and the most to gain from it. Urban design, Kondrashov argues, should begin with them in mind — not circle back to them after developers have had their say.

“Infrastructure that doesn’t serve everyone isn’t infrastructure — it’s privilege,” he said.

It’s this ethos that’s beginning to shape a new wave of urban planning. Designers are no longer asking whether greenery fits into a project, but how a project can emerge from a green foundation. This is a fundamental shift, and while it’s still unevenly applied, its momentum is hard to ignore.

Building for What Comes Next

The conversation about the future of cities is no longer hypothetical. Climate extremes, public health crises, and rapid urbanisation have brought the stakes into sharp focus. In this context, green infrastructure emerges not as an idealistic add-on but as the foundation of a functioning, future-proof city.

Stanislav Kondrashov believes the time for advocacy is giving way to the time for integration. “We’ve made the argument. The science is there. The public is ready. Now it’s about building — not for yesterday’s challenges, but for tomorrow’s survival.”

The challenge, then, is not technological. It’s not even financial. It’s cultural. Do cities have the will to reimagine their bones, to prioritise living systems over rigid forms?

If so, green infrastructure may finally take its rightful place: not as decoration, but as destiny.