The Roof Garden Initiative of the City of New York Promoting health, leisure, and environmental friendliness on a metropolitan scale

14 Aug 2003 Northeast blackout

Queens

Blackouts… …leave people vulnerable to dangerous situations: lack of access to city services, food, water, shelter, transportation, contact, etc. …are often an immediate result of overextended demands in energy. …tend to happen during periods of intense heat, perpetuated further by global warming and…

The Urban Heat Island Effect

UHI Causes: Building materials in urban environments and their inherent thermal and radiative properties. “The Canyon Effect”. Lack of vegetation and water.

2 Problems: We need to find a way to adapt to the increase in temperatures in the city without relying on a huge consumption of energy for air conditioning. At the same time, we must figure out a method to mitigate the damage caused by the urban heat island and to effectively lower temperatures in the city during the summer.

1 Solution: ROOF GARDENING

Roof Gardens Addressing our Problems: The extra greenery will serve to reflect sunlight and to replace existing tar roof configurations. Insulation not only keeps interiors cooler in the summer but warmer in the winter as well, saving money for the consumer.

Vegetation utilizes sunlight, absorbs carbon dioxide and other pollutants, and releases oxygen into the atmosphere.

Additional Benefits: Depending on personal interest and initiative, gardens may also be utilized for growing slow food, cutting down on transportation emissions and saving money. Green roofs will act to socialize habits of environmental consciousness and will instill a source of pride, advancing community engagement.