Green infrastructure as panacea, deus ex machina, or both?

The concept of ‘green infrastructure’ gained prominence within urban planning as decision-makers attempted to create more sustainable and multi-functional places. However, as the concept gained traction its advocates engaged in a process of terminological exploration which led to divergencies in praxis. The result has been an ongoing debate regarding what green infrastructure ‘is’ and whether alternative terms are better placed to address contemporary planning issues. The wider debates regarding green infrastructure have been framed as a ‘solution’ to complex and often historical landscape and urban planning problems. We argue that situating green infrastructure as a panacea, a deus ex machina, or both undermines understanding of the concept’s principles and application in practice. However, there is a value to these debates if, and where, they facilitate consensus on how, what and where investments should be made by decision-makers.