Community | August 04, 2008 | 8 comments

Urban roofscapes, ecofriendly rooftops!

source: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=urban-roofscapes-ecofriendly-rooftops

Image
mookster_07
'Most buildings are designed to shed rain, and as such are built with hard, impenetrable roofing surfaces. As a result, rainwater bounces off and collects as runoff, picking up impurities—including infectious bacteria from animal waste as well as harmful pesticides and fertilizers—on the way to municipal storm sewers, which in turn eventually empty out into local bodies of water.

Minimizing this run-off means that more impurities will remain in local soils where they can be broken down more easily into their constituent elements than if they are concentrated downstream. In order to achieve this goal, landscape architects have developed so-called “green roofs,” which utilize living plant matter and soil on top of a building in order to absorb, collect and reuse rainwater while preventing run-off. Many buildings employing green roofs are able to find abundant uses for the water they collect, from watering exterior plantings at ground level to flushing toilets inside.'

How cool would it be if major cities, like NY, Boston, London, had gardens on all the rooftops? Think about all of the benefits from environmental, to fresh produce being available at food pantries. Work release programs could maintain the gardens, not to mention the therapeutic effect gardening has on the soul!
  1. groups:
    Community,   Green,   Culture,   Art and Style,   2 more
  2. tags:
    News,  Culture,  Green,  Art and Style,  6 more
  3.     
    |

8 comments // Urban roofscapes, ecofriendly rooftops!

  • gormanwvzb
    • 0
      gormanwvzb  
    • Image

    • I love the topic of green roofs and have been reading a ton of articles, especially at the link above.

      I didn't know there were so many in the world!

    • 3 years ago
  • WisconsinNorm
    • 0
      WisconsinNorm  

    • Would it be all that difficult for one tree to be planted for every "twenty-five" parking stalls in asphalt? Isn't this basically doing the same thing but for much, much less money and trouble...

      .It always seems we overlook the obvious...

      Snowplowing complications and then someone slips...yeah, yeah, yeah....Kid's climbing them and then they fall...wait....now we have gotten to the bottom of it! Lawyers!

    • 3 years ago
  • MeganMcKenzie
    • 0
      MeganMcKenzie  

    • I love that photo. My frustration is that I live in a rental. I am still trying to figure out how to make a grey water system for a rental that does not involve making structural changes to the house without owners permission.

      I am going to buy land and live in a solar tipi or yurt

    • 3 years ago
  • mookster_07
  • gentjim
  • purplefox
  • Saladin
    • 0
      Saladin  

    • I've heard about stuff like this for a long time now. Ultimately, I doubt it will be done on a significant scale. Not unless things get really bad.

    • 3 years ago
more from Community:
from the community

top videos