“Green Roofs”: Greening the City from the Top Down
Using
your roof for gardening, known as “greening” your
roof, is a very inventive way to make use of urban space. You
can grow a few plants on your roof in containers, or even consider
a full greening of your roof with a variety of plants and turf.
Using your roof as a green space will not only make your house
more beautiful, it will also help you save energy. Having a
tree or a shrub in a container, a small area of veggies, or
a plot of turf can make a huge difference in the amount of solar
heat absorbed by your home. Some studies report that the average
rooftop can reach as high as 140 degree F, but a layer of turf
often stays below 77 degrees. Thus, greening your roof can reduce
the amount of energy you use for air-conditioning. The plants
on your roof will also make use of rainwater, and if you plant
turf, the grass may significantly reduce runoff.
The
“grass roof” is a well-known rural European tradition
that is slowly making its way to cities around the world. In
some rural areas in Europe, you can observe roofs that have
turf built right into the structure of the house. Now many urbanites
are trying these ideas out for themselves. This website details
an ecological urban
house design in England that uses a grass roof.
Green roofing
is becoming more popular than you might imagine. By some reports,
Germans planted more than 108 million square feet of green roofs
in recent years. A recent environmental study in Chicago also
stated that if enough people greened their roofs, the cumulative
effect would help reduce the ambient temperature of the entire
city!
A fully
green roof with abundant landscaping requires a bit of investment
and additional technology to deal with issues such as drainage,
possible water damage and the added weight of the landscaping.
Even if you plan on placing just a few containers on your roof,
you should think about the extra time you’ll be spending
on your roof walking around, watering, and performing maintenance.
You may already have a sturdy roof that will easily hold the
extra weight. However, talking to a professional architect can
help you deal with these issues.
This
website has more information on how
your can green your own roof, as well as descriptions of
large-scale projects helping to green urban rooftops of public
buildings in the cities of Chicago and Toronto.
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2005 Urban Gardening Help. All Rights Reserved.
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