Green roofs
Initially most interest in green roofs was in their value as a habitat. The sedum mats that characterised many of the roofs built in the 90s encouraged some invertebrates, but bio-diverse green roofs with a substrate made of a range of materials of varying depth, which will support a greater variety of plants and insects, are now preferred.
More recently, the role of green roofs in a strategy to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects is being recognised by architects and planners, particularly the reduction of flooding and urban temperatures.
Download a research paper on the mitigation of the heat island effect using data from the RISC garden
Mitigating Urban Heat Island (2.85mb)
Find out more on the benefits of green roofs from livingroofs.org
See a gallery of green roofs from around the world published in the National Geographic Magazine.
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