Urban Integration of Green Roofs: Current Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

Green roofs (GRs) are a sustainable alternative to conventional roofs that provide multiple ecosystem services. Integrating GRs into urban areas is highly relevant considering the rapidly increasing built-up in cities. Therefore, this paper systematically and comprehensively reviews the recent literature from 2011 to 2019 on GRs to identify the challenges and perspectives related to the urban integration of GRs. The review suggests that the effectiveness of GRs in delivering ecosystem services is largely dependent on context-specific parameters such as weather conditions and existing construction or design-related parameters. Integrating GRs into urban areas can be challenging given the diversity of actors, functions, and conditions characterizing these areas. Although significant research has already been conducted on GRs, research covering more geographical locations and contexts is needed. The review points out the need to include future urbanization scenarios, such as tall buildings while analyzing the impact of GRs on ecological networks. Additionally, the review emphasizes the inclusion of urban morphological parameters alongside an analysis of the impact of GRs on microclimate regulation and air quality. In terms of social acceptance, this review points out the need to consider the temporal cycles of vegetation for noting users’ perspectives. Additionally, further research is required on the social impact of GRs, considering their influence on property prices. Lastly, the review stresses the need for more city-scale studies on the impact of GRs on ecosystem services.

The Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Buildings with Green Roofs: A Case Study Based on the Köppen Climate Classification

“…The construction of GR combined with rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) in construction brings together the individual advantages of each of these technologies, especially with regard to rainwater retention and dampening flood peaks in urban areas [19][20][21][22][23][24][25]; therefore, their combination should be considered as a very promising solution for tackling climate change and increasing the sustainability of cities [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]. However, the viability of this joint solution significantly depends on local climatic conditions; thus, it is of interest to pre-analyze the regions of the planet where the combination of GR with RHWS may or may not be viable [37][38][39][40][41][42].…”

Predicting Urban Heat Island Mitigation with Random Forest Regression in Belgian Cities

“…The UHI phenomenon is primarily caused by a high density of built-up areas, as well as low albedo of urban surfaces, resulting in absorption of excess solar radiation (Razzaghmanesh et al 2016). In this scenario, green roofs are highly relevant owing to the abundance of building rooftops made of impervious surfaces in cities (Francis and Jensen 2017;Joshi and Teller 2021). Green roofs prevent the absorption of short-wave radiation and act as thermal insulators (Razzaghmanesh et al 2016).…”

Analysis and Valuation of the Energy-Efficient Residential Building with Innovative Modular Green Wall Systems

“…The arrangement of green wall systems on the buildings is a method to improve the quality of the urban space [16]. The wide range of benefits is associated with green wall systems, including performed technological systems with organizational structures and the reduction in airborne noise and energy cost savings by 40% [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]. The effectiveness of green roofs in reducing building energy consumptions in different climatic conditions was investigated [23,24,27].…”