Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step – many don’t survive
Nearly half of 46 roofs studied across the southeastern United States no longer functioned as intended, researchers found.
- A study of 46 green roofs by University of Tennessee researcher Taylor Wishart found that nearly half are no longer functioning as intended due to insufficient long-term maintenance.
- While the European Commission and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promote green roofs to reduce urban heat islands, current programs focus primarily on construction incentives rather than ensuring long-term functionality.
- Maintenance costs can reach over $3 per square foot annually, and changing building ownership often leads to abandonment, with twelve roofs in the study removed entirely.
- Without consistent stewardship, many green roofs are abandoned, causing a loss of environmental benefits like improved water quality and energy insulation that justified the original investments.
- To ensure green roof survival, communities should prioritize clear ownership responsibilities, shifting policy focus beyond Philadelphia's 50% construction tax credit toward dedicated funding for ongoing care.
13 Articles
13 Articles
The Conversation
Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step – many don’t survive
The rooftop of the Javits Center in New York is still thriving, but others have struggled. Xinhua/Wang Lei via Getty Images As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they’re getting dangerously hot. Record-breaking heat waves strain power grids, send people to cooling shelters and can make the top floors of some apartment buildings unlivable. One way to help co…
Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step – many don’t survive — Taylor Wishart (TheConversation.com)
The rooftop of the Javits Center in New York is still thriving, but others have struggled. Xinhua/Wang Lei via Getty Images Taylor Wishart, University of Tennessee As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they’re getting dangerously hot. Record-breaking heat waves strain power grids, send people to cooling shelters and can make the top floors of some apartment…
Heat, a lot of concrete and little shade - we interviewed an expert and fed the AI - could turn NRW cities green.
Green roofs can help cool cities in the summer heat, but building them is only the first step – many don’t survive
by Taylor Wishart, University of Tennessee, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] As summer temperatures soar across the United States and Europe, cities are being forced to confront the difficult reality that they’re getting dangerously hot. Record-breaking heat waves strain power grids, send people to cooling shelters and can make the top floors of some apartment buildings unlivable. One way to help coo…
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