Going Green in an Urban Jungle

Living Roof, Garage Apartments, North Carolina, photo courtesy of greenroofs.com

 
Going Green in an Urban Jungle

by Sweiskloss
June 12, 2025
June gardens are in full bloom with purple flowers bursting from Jacaranda trees, roses spilling over fences and star jasmine perfume filling the air. But not everyone has the luxury of spacious front and back yards. Cities are becoming denser with outdoor space at a premium. Enter the rise of the living roof industry of green roofs and rooftop gardens. From quiet meditation spots to sensory and herb gardens to stargazing spaces, green roofs provide precious outdoor spaces in the concrete jungle.

Photo by Sergio Grazia, courtesy of Archdaily.com

From Tokyo to Toronto, cities are incorporating green roofs in urban designs for environmental, health and recreational purposes. Rooftop gardens offer several environmental benefits – they help reduce urban heat island effect, improve air quality and absorb rainwater to prevent flooding. They are also energy efficient, insulating buildings, reducing heating and cooling costs, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Green roofs support people and pollinators alike. Whether they are used as elevated playgrounds, pet friendly space or wellness zones, these areas foster community, psychological and physical well-being, and add beauty.
A rooftop garden is more than just planting greenery on concrete slabs. Waterproofing, drainage, and irrigation are vital components as is the location to optimize sunlight and shade. And the structural load capacity of the roof must be adequate because dirt is really heavy. Other elements that can be incorporated include multi-level platforms, built-in planters, decking, benches and pergolas. Access to the space will also determine how often it is used, whether that is well placed stairs or large glass doors.

Namba Parks, Japan, photo by Sean Pavone / Dreamstime, courtesy of TimeOut

From cultural institutions and businesses to private residences, green roofs are sprouting up on buildings around the globe. According to Architectural Digest, “Europe’s DACH region - … Germany, Austria and Switzerland – has emerged as a pioneer in the field of green roofs.” In 2002 Basel, Switzerland became the first city to make green spaces a legal requirement on all new and renovated buildings with a flat roof (Climate-adapt.eea). The city of Toronto passed a similar law in 2009, the Green Roof Bylaw, requiring construction of green roofs on new developments or additions over a certain size. Roofs on commercial buildings in France must be partially covered with greenery or solar panels according to viritopia.com.

These green roofs combine sustainable architectural and aesthetic designs to address urban challenges and foster community.

ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural Hall, Fukuoka City, Japan

Photo courtesy of across.or.jp

The 15-stepped terraces transform this modern building into a lush green mountain in the middle of the city. It was designed to be used as a public park and has the added benefit of improving air quality and reducing “the building’s energy consumption by 20-30%” (aacflatroofing.co.uk).


Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany
A subterranean expansion to this Frankfurt art museum is topped with a domed garden roof “dotted with huge round skylights that flood the subterranean gallery with loads of natural daylight” (inhabitat.com). It is also a fully accessible garden.


Moesgaard Museum, Hojbjerg, Denmark
Blurring the distinction between landscape and architecture, the sloping roof is covered in grass, moss, and flowers and blends in with the museum’s rural surroundings. Visitors can sled on it in winter and picnic on it in the summer.


Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, Canda

Photo courtesy of greenroofs.com

At six-acres, the Vancouver Convention Center West is the largest green roof in Canada (greenroofs.com) and home to more than 400,000 indigenous plant and grass species. It also provides a natural habitat to birds, insects and small mammals, is home to four beehives (long live the pollinators!) and a family of Canada Geese.


California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA

Photo courtesy of aacflatfroofing.co.uk

Closer to home, the hills of SF and Golden Gate Park inspired the design for the California Academy of Sciences. The building boasts a 2.5-acre living roof with approximately 1.7 million native plants, as well as solar panels and weather stations (Architectural Digest). The carefully curated vegetation promotes biodiversity and is an oasis for birds, insects and people.


Chicago City Hall, Chicago, USA

Photo by Urban Matter, courtesy of aacflatroofing.co.uk

This green roof garden consists of 20,000 plants, shrubs, vines and trees. The plants are mostly native to the region and were selected for their ability to thrive in the sometimes harsh climate of Chi’town.
Other notable green roofs include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Visitor Center whose sloped roof is planted with grasses and flowers blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape; the Biesbosch Museum in the Netherlands with a mix of herbs and grass covering the hexagonal structure; and Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University’s green roof which doubles as a scenic outdoor communal space and serves as a way to keep temperature low and reduce heat in the tropical climate.
 
Laura McMahon