Articles
European Lawmakers Poised to Include Green Infrastructure in New Rules for Sustainable Buildings
New developments in the European Parliament are supportive of green infrastructure and now must pass National government approval.
Photovoltaic on Green Roofs – the Scandinavian Way
An overview by Scandanavian green roof leaders on the synergies between green roofs and solar photovoltaics and some of the key design considerations required.
EU Policy Innovations Support Green Infrastructure Amid Climate Transition
A great review of multiple policy changes proposed recently by the World Green Infrastructure Network to the European Union (EU) to support the increased utilization of green infrastructure in the built environment throughout Europe.
On the Roof With… Philadelphia Water Department’s Commissioner and CEO Randy E. Hayman
Ten years in, the Commissioner and CEO of the Philadelphia Water Department, Randy Hayman, reflects upon the successes and challenges of implementing the multi-billion dollar award winning green infrastructure focused Green City, Clean Waters plan in advance of his keynote address at CitiesAlive on October 16.
From Parking Lot to Paradise: Our Future in Agrivoltaics
Senator Mona Das explains why she sponsored a bill in Washington State that would require green roofs on new buildings and what the outcomes of this initiative were.
Green Roofs Are Being Considered to Support Denver’s Future Amidst Change
The City of Denver is developing numerous policy initiatives designed to ensure community livability in the face of a changing climate and this provides an overview of the many initiatives underway.
Renaturing Cities and Restoring the Natural Water Cycle Through Green Infrastructure
This article provides an overview of various policy initiatives underway by the European Commission that may support greater green infrastructure investment, in response to severe climate change impacts experienced throughout Europe this summer.
National and Local Regulations and Programs Are Stimulating the Green Roof Industry in Poland
The Polish Green Roof and Wall Industry is thriving under a series of new national and local funding programs and regulations.
Cutting Edge Policy in England Requires New Buildings To Incorporate Biodiversity
Dusty Gedge explains how new policies enacted in England promise to improve biodiversity by measuring the biodiversity related impacts of development and requiring a net gain in biodiversity – good news for green roofs.
Urban Biodiversity Targets Lay the Ground for Holistic Exploitation of Rooftops in European Cities
Back in May 2020, the European Union presented its biodiversity strategy for 2030 – a comprehensive plan to protect nature, reverse the degradation of ecosystems and put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030.
Transforming the Built Environment Through the Smart Combination of Green Infrastructure and Solar Installations in Europe
The European Solar Rooftops Initiative presents a unique opportunity to maximize the impact for cities and citizens promoting the combination of green infrastructure and solar installations on every rooftop and impervious surface where it is economically and technically feasible.
In France, a New Law Supports Green Roofs on Buildings
Promulgated on August 24, 2021, the Climate and Resilience Act includes article 101 that strengthens and expands previous laws in favor of implementing green roofs. The French government is taking these additional steps so that green roofs can be implemented more widely, particularly to promote the acceptance of biodiversity and the fight against climate change.
New European Proposal for Energy Performance of Buildings Is a Missed Opportunity for Nature and Well-Being
The European Union’s new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive falls short when it comes to the integration of living architecture, despite widespread public support for having more nature in cities and more government action on climate change.
Let’s Put Green Roofs on Schools and Help Students and Teachers
Did you ever have a school assignment growing a seedling? Did you ever do that on the roof of your school building? There is a bill in Congress that could make this a reality for our country’s learners. Not only that, it would help mitigate climate change, reduce the urban heat island, create jobs, and grow our economy for generations to come.
Fine Tuning New York City’s Green Roof Tax Abatement Program
New York City’s current Green Roof Tax Abatement (GRTA) Program is the result of an ongoing 13-year stakeholder advocacy effort. A GRTA working group is helping to advocate for improvements to the program which will increase program uptake and green roof benefits.
Beautiful, Multifunctional, Impactful, and Cost-Effective: Why Greening Cities Should Be a Pillar of Climate Action
In cities, we can reverse climate change trends if we renature urban areas. By interweaving green infrastructure within the built environment, we can tackle some of the effects of human-induced warming locally. At the same time, we can limit further urbanization, which will increase the severity of heatwaves as well as precipitation and resulting runoff intensity.
What the Children Have To Say About Their School Green Roof Classroom
An anonymous, informal green roof survey completed by 160 students of P.S. 41 in New York City demonstrates the green roof's valuable emotional, social, and educational benefits, even compared to the lower-level playground.
A Climate Solution: How Mothers Out Front Won A Green Roof Requirement in Cambridge, Mass.
A grass-roots climate action group powered by the volunteer efforts of moms dared to imagine what Cambridge, MA could become if its rooftops were transformed by pollinator-friendly gardens, meadows, and a farm or two.
We Know About The Many Benefits of Green Roofs as Outdoor Classrooms - Now We Need to Pass Bill HR 1863
In March 2010, P.S.41 in NYC, opened the Green Roof Environmental Literacy Laboratory, a 15,000 square foot sedum and native plant green roof The first outdoor learning space of its kind in NYC benefits children with activities from skyline drawings to insect research projects.
Canada’s 2021 Federal Budget Contains Some Big Wins for Green Infrastructure and Canadians
In April 19, the first Canadian federal budget in two years was released, “A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience”. The budget included some big wins for green/natural infrastructure, including the creation of a dedicated Natural Infrastructure Fund.