Green Roofs for Healthy Cities

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a tiny network consisting of public and private groups, was established in 1999 as the direct outcome of a research project on the benefits of green building and the barriers to industry development entitled Greenbacks from Green Roofs prepared by Steven Peck, Monica Kuhn, Dr. Brad Bass and Chris Callaghan. Green design has been around for thousands of years now, and there are many benefits … but there are also many unseen dangers. Here are some of them.
 

The benefits of building green roofs for healthy cities are poorly understood in North America, and the market remains undeveloped. Green homes have become very well established in Europe, however. In Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland among other countries, government legislative and financial support has led to the formation of an exciting, multi-million dollar market for green roof products and services. This is an industry well worth copying, and North America should take the leap of faith.
 

Peck is the founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. The association endorses the planning, designing and building of green roofs, walls and other architectural projects. He has spent several years carrying out public policy research in the fields of technology innovation and diffusion, and urban sustainability. If his efforts have earned him recognition, it would be well deserved.
 

The world’s most endangered butterflies and birds will gain a new lease on life if rooftop gardens become more commonplace in North America’s cities. Recreating their environment on green roofs for healthy cities can help save these beautiful creatures and other wildlife stranded in patchy and vanishing green spaces. Hopefully, as the environmental advantages become more apparent, North Americans will let go of the negative beliefs they now hold, and embrace the benefits of green roofs for healthy cities.