THE ROLE OF GREEN ROOFS IN COST-EFFECTIVE CITY GREENING Rune Kongshaug, Vikram Bhatt McGill University, School of Architecture, Minimum Cost Housing Group (MCHG) Abstract Many design solutions exist for city greening, including green roofs, which could be applied to reach ordinary people in a most cost-effective manner. Participatory, community-oriented and low-cost approaches are in great demand and are required in order to promote more efficient land-use and redress the balance between urban spaces for living and growing, an essential component in raising the quality of living in most urban sites, you need to qualify this- bring in smart growth statistics, planning, etc. who says participatory, community-based and low-cost approaches are in great demand? Use city planning documents, etc. Also, what is the main goal problem here, and how can green roofs satisfy this? . The authors use examples of city greening both at and above grade—which includes hands-on experience building rooftop gardens and student fieldwork on government-sponsored community gardening and urban agriculture—to propose a minimum cost perspective on city greening and the use of rooftop gardening. Gardens in cities exist in surprising forms, ranging from potted plants in windowsills, private gardens, community gardens, vacant and parking lots, container gardens on roofs and balconies, and green roofs. Different forms of gardening present distinct challenges: land tenure, security, structural requirement, access, planning, design and ongoing maintenance, and, of course, the cost. The opportunities are also distinct: community impact, privacy, incomepotential and environmental payback. Our paper is a critical review of the benefits of green roofs as compared to other ecological and community-friendly uses of under-utilized urban spaces. The topic of green roof design and implementation needs to be understood in a wider framework how to best prioritize resources for the greening of cities. Move to paragraph “Urban Design practice…” Acknowledgements: For the Edible Landscapes seminar on Montreal community gardens (2002) and publication (2004), a special recognition goes to all participants of the research seminar: Ms. Yingwei Cui, Ms. Yingzhou Du, Mr. Qiang Fu, Ms. Xiao Tong He, Mr. Rune Kongshaug, Mr. Sachin Narkar, and Ms Li Xiao. For assistance on research of Montreal green roof projects, a special thanks to Mr. Elikem Ayitey, MUP. -1- Based on personal experience of building roof top gardens and a study of different urban gardening activities in North American cities-mostly Montreal- this should be changed to reflect that, the authors discuss advantages and disadvantages of various types of urban gardens. In this respect, green roofs generally present a maximum-cost and complex endeavor that may fit large and luxury-end construction. How to channel the current green roof movement to develop a credible scenario for large-scale greening of cities at minimum cost? In this respect, we found commercial green roofs of limited value compared to innovative ways that exploited underused spaces both at grade and above ground-providing a potential niche for green roofs. To this end, Montreal has policies aimed at facilitating urban gardening and agriculture, but most cities discourage greening activities, especially for agriculture, or the use of under-utilized vacant lots or roofs-you need to qualify/source this last statement- how do they discourage greening activities? Is this true?. The study is based on the authors’ own experiences in the design and construction of two roof gardens: one a container garden built by a research team, the other a green roof built for residential tenants. The abstract needs to be re-worked: main goals, how, conclusions. Urban design practice: provide design solutions for people To what end and for whom do we practice urban planning and design? Praxis this is a Greek word with many uses- the predominant not being design solutions- praxis is practice/daily system, living, etc. please state that this is for architecture. State your audience clearly. means to provide design solutions for people. Unfortunately, the general design practice of planners, urban developers and architects has primarily looked at and served wealthy clients and produced expensive solutions for which demand and application is limited. The challenge, , is to produce rooftop garden solutions that ordinary people can afford. For rooftop gardening to present a broad-based design “solution” to urban problems, we propose a practical framework to compare and contrast alternative greening solutions, in which the benefits of greening rooftops can also be appreciated. This presentation contrasts newly developed, “fancy” and expensive garden roof projects with more “laid-back” minimum-cost yet highly aesthetic interventions, suggesting that do-it-yourself and community-driven retrofit projects can produce desired social interactions and positive neighborhood impacts. You combine green roofs and community, ground-level gardens in your paper- you need to distinguish throughout the benefits and problems of both. -2- Title needed here; Greening the city and sustainable cities?, etc. Rooftop greening is presented as one solution to the problem of how to optimize land utilization within the context of rapid urbanization. Urban growth is inherently accompanied with land-use pressures, which prevent efficient or equitable land utilizationhow? Give an example. This is a big statement to make without qualifying it. This problem may be even more pressing in cities of less developed Southern regions, which are surpassing the more developed North, both in terms of the overall size of cities and urban growth rates.is this really relevant here? You don’t mention other cities in the rest of the paper. This would be better in your introduction as a reason why land-use pressures and conflicts in urban areas are getting worse. UN-HABITAT estimates that close to half of the world’s population, is now living in cities and this number will grow to 60 percent by the year 2015 (1). Conventionally, cities have functioned as centers of commerce and manufacturing, and of course, they continue to serve as seats of power and culture. However, horticultural practices—growing plants for pleasure, commerce or for food safety?—which have traditionally been considered a strictly rural activity, are now observed urban and peri-urban phenomena: Urban agriculture and community gardening are seen as engines for urban renewal, poverty alleviation, social empowerment, and healthy living in cities: Low-cost approaches to rooftop gardening could benefit from a similar evolution.?this is a great point- you need to make it stand out more, focus on it as an organizing principle for your paper. The minimum-cost approach to urban architecture and design presented here-please define what you mean by minimum cost approach, including it’s importance and who is paying, represents field research conducted by the authors, as published in Rooftop Wastelands (2) and Edible Landscapes (3). The objective of our work is to optimize uses of under-utilized land and hence redress, qualitatively and quantitatively, the balance between built live-work spaces and open spaces dedicated for growing-meaning to increase urban agriculture? Be clearer here. The framework and lessons presenteded herein will use the following greening and rooftop garden solutions as illustrations: High Cost Low Cost At grade New roof Re-fit Nun’s Island condos, Montreal (2003?)check date City of Montreal Community Gardens (1974-current) Place Bonaventure, Montreal (1967-1997) Luxury dwelling, New York (2002-03) University Settlement Community Center, Montreal (1974-76) Table 1: Sample Greening and Rooftop Gardens Serving as Illustrations. -3- Framework for optimizing under-utilized lands and roofs Reducing the scale of observation to human dimensions A dweller-grower is here coined to designate an urban resident who is also a gardener. The garden may not be attached to the gardener’s house, but when considering the relationships between living and growing spaces in the city, matters of distance and scale become importanthow? Why? How does this link to green roofs?. Climate, plant selection, and multiple harvests in tight spaces From the architect’s perspective, one of the most challenging elements of considering the merits of low-cost gardening solutions, is to view lettuce and chard on equal footing with brick and mortar. After all, a garden’s value needs to be considered against other alternatives such as parking, housing, commercial development, roads and parks for recreational use. The length of the growing season, size of containers, methods of irrigation and fertilization, ease of physical access, as well as considerations inter-cropping in tight areas will dictate the choice of plants. You need to mention cost here- it is very important- there is a difference between design and the resident-powered gardening you talk about. Do you mean design to facilitate this? Observed cultural differences also exist: In Montreal, depending on whether the grower-dweller was of Anglo-, French, Indian or South-East Asian origin, the skill-levels and methods applied by gardeners varied widely-source?. Some communities hadhave perfected using supportsthe use of supports to grow vertically and inter-cropping to the point of having 3-4 harvests in the short Montreal planting season. Sharing growing “secrets” is part of Community Garden social life.hence value of gardens in urban areas- why is this important? Because it re-inforces the need and value of shared urban gardens Topography and densities: spatial norms reconsidered That urban land is scarce and that densities? are high does not automatically mean that greening rooftops provides the best and most efficient greening solution. Considering the building stock in Montreal, for example, one finds ample room for private and community gardening, at grade, before rooftop gardening becomes a necessity- does this mean that green roofs are only considered as a last resort?. Community Garden Neighborhood Open Built Housing Type Density Le Mannais Pere Marquette Victoria Bon Voisin Rosemont / Petite Prairie Cote-des-Neiges Sud-Ouest 56% 44% Medium 80% 66% 20% 34% Attached (Duplex, Triplex) Detached Semi-detached -4- Low Medium Table 2: Topography and Housing Types surrounding Community Gardens in Montreal. Importance of middle-to-high density urban residential housing Residential urban and suburban housing is in crisis if one looks at thetime spent and distances traveled commuting, and the disappearance of open land to cities: Between 1982 and 1997, the total urbanized land in the United States rose by 47%, from 51 to 78 million acres, while the U.S. population rose by (only) 17% (5)-this is a complex issue- if you are focusing on adding greenspace to urban and peri-urban areas, you need to mention cost, the predilection for larger lots, political issues and planning, etc- in terms of the residential “crisis’- at least mention that you aren’t going to talk about them. the two don’t necessarily link together. . Again, between the extremes of the single-detached suburban house and the city high-rise, the minimum-cost approachdefine considers working with medium density housing, and considers low-cost retrofitsolutions rather than demolition and new constructionas a solution to what? Lack of urban green space? Badly designed residential housing?. Residential housing thus constitutes both a potentially important market for rooftop gardening in terms of already existing roofs, as well as rooftop and terracing space from new development- maybe put stats in here on rate of construction of new residential houses in Canada?potentials Dweller-grower motivations & community participation In Northern cities?vs southern cities? Do you mean to say that most urban gardeners in North American cities do so for pleasure and not sustenance?, most urban gardeners benefit recreationally from gardening, but one immediately notes that the garden can also act as an inter-generational bond with a large proportion of the elderly represented, as well as a (surprisingly maybe) large portion of moderate-income people growing food as an income subsidy.why is this important? Because it helps build strong communities- this point should be in your intro as well. Project Age-groups Income Motivations City of Montreal Community Gardens > 55 yrs: 44% in 5 out of 9 boroughs > 45 yrs: 63% in 8 out of 9 boroughs 30 – 40 yrs. old. CAD 29-37K (household) Food quality: >50% Leisure: 40% Ecology/quality of life 20% Repeat gardeners: 75% Private access. Decided to rent space because of garden. Green Roof, Luxury dwelling, New York -5- USD 200K (one person)footn ote here- also, one is a roof garden, the others are not- be clear Table 3: Gardener motivations by project and income Low-cost greening of under-utilized lands and rooftops: a global perspective In order to bring greenspace into cities….The design professional once again havehas to ask, for whom are we building? What is affordability? Observed green roof projects can be divided into two broad categories: high-end luxury projects addressing a niche audience, and low-cost, often community driven projects seeking a certain social outcome or better land-use. The Hilton Hotel International Rooftop Garden (Montreal, 1967) You need to introduce why you are looking at this example vs residential.An intensive rooftop garden as part of the projects erected to receive visitors for world exhibition of 1967. The garden occurs above grade on the 17th floor of the huge concrete complex, one of the biggest in the city and in the world. The roof garden, which occupies the top three floors of the multiuse exhibition hall, is 2.5 acres in size and provides outdoor amenity space for hoteliers. The design philosophy was aimed at putting ground level functions on the roof, and to make possible horizontal circulation high up the building, instead of the usual vertical circulation in hotels through the medium of elevators (6). It was in line with the mega city concept of the 1960’s and made the hotel highly visible and attractive. The design conception eliminated the need for a conventional tower plaza at the ground level. In the interior of the garden are public rooms while those on the exterior perimeter are guests’ rooms (7). The garden was designed to conceal the black roof of the exhibition hall and the parking space below. The garden is divided into quadrants, has winding paths, a continuous waterfall and swimming pool. Given the severe freeze and thaw in Montreal, drainage gravel 8-14 inches sits on a base membrane over the structural slabof concrete?. Plant materials were selected to withstand the cold conditions in Montreal and trees were put on structural columns. Planning and design decisions were a collaboration between the owner, the architect, and the contractor. This underlined the success of the project. With respect to cost, we found that the cost of renovation undertaken in 1997, the total cost of facelift was $13.5m and $4m out of this was spent on the garden and outdoor facilities you haven’t mentioned any renovations yetplease introduce this, and why(8). This adds up to about 34 percent of the renovation cost. It is -6- implied that the cost of renovation of a green roof can be prohibitive depending on what facilities the roof has. The Hotel Bonaventure- is this the same as the Hilton? Please introduce it, explain why you are including it, and comment on it- ie is a more successful example than the first as they can better pay for it? Still expensive, hence we move to low-cost residential options, etc. How does greenspace on the top three floors contribute to better social links, community, etc? please be clear as to what the goal/result of this greenspace is for the city and it’s residents. is one hotel in Montreal that maintains a higher than average occupancy rate, about 70 percent compared to 63 percent for others in Montreal in 1996. Putting green space on the top three floors of the 17-stories was innovative and revolutionary, and made the hotel attractive for locals and tourists alike. The lead architect responsible for the project was the late Ray Affleck, of Montreal firm ARCOP. The Nun’s Island Condo Rooftop Garden at Elevation and Grade (Montreal, 2003) This is a residential real estate project considered for its high quality designand green spacethis paper is about green roofs, right? You need to keep referring back to them and explain why this project is interesting in that context. The project is owned by Proment Corporation in Montreal, and occupies an area of 130,000 square feet on the Nuns Islands. It was a collaboration between the developer, the project architect, the builder and some of the prospective homeowners. According to Mr. Joseph Louis Papineau, project manager for Proment Corporation, the objective of the project was to achieve an extraordinarily high quality design different from other projects under constructionand to satisfy the taste of the tenants who include single families and retired workers who wanted affordable homes with amenity space and less maintenance work. There are two residential complexes with some mixed use functions: The first is Les Sommets sur le Fleuve, which has a roof garden as part of the general landscape to create additional space for residents. The units range in size between 1050 and 3500 square feet and sold between $230,000 to $1,800 000 Canadian dollars. Besides, the roof garden complements the natural features of the site, which include St Lawrence River and green space?. This project proves that a green roof can make real estate development successfulor do you mean that a suburban development can have a successful green roof? One doesn’t necessarily prove the other. in a suburban neighborhood when the emphasis is on a niche market and high quality design really?. The green roof consists of flat bed slabs and 12 inch of soil for the growth of plants. Les Sommets sur le fleuve cost $ 2 million to construct. The cost of landscaping was $45,000, according to Mr. Joseph L. Papineau. -7- The second complex is Les Jardins des Vosges, varing in size between 700 and 1570 square feet and the price ranged between $ 80,000 and $400,000. The Les Jardins des Vosges is a transition between high-rise and town houses in the area. The interior court of the building opens onto magnificent landscaped gardens, set aside for the project’s residents. Given the high quality of design, the sales of the project achieved phenomenal success. For example, after only four months, 70 percent of the 150 units Sommets Sur le fleuve were sold, while 40 percent of the 100 units Le Jardins des Vosges were sold in 3 months (9).what are you proving here? The other project was also showcased for “high quality of design” The roof gardens occur at grade and the two projects were valued at $100m in the year 2003. this shows thatThe economics for green roofs in a suburban neighborhood can beprofitable when the emphasis is on a high quality design and aimed at a niche market. The architect was Groupe – Conseil J.P. Bart. The landscape designer was Williams, Asselin and Ackaoui. The Skyturf Luxury Loft Project (New York, 2002-2003) Again, introduce this: why are you bringing this up, how is it relevant?Planning and design of this owner-initiated project began in 2001, with the sourcing of both German and American green roofing solutions. The proposed garden area was a total of 1,500 square feet on two levels, including a canal, a water basin, built-in irrigation, a gazebo, and soil depths varying between 8” to 24.” The project involved tearing off several layers of old bitumen roof covers, asbestos removal, some masonry and all copings redone. No structural work was required on this 90-year-old industrial building, as the roof is a strong concrete slab supported with 10” structural steel beams every 5 feet. The owner—also the author of this paper—had first selected a German green roofing solution, which featured a horizontal irrigation system whereby rainwater could be stored on top of the drainage mat and passively irrigate using a capillary system vertically connected with the growth medium. This solution proved too expensive and insufficient?for what?, however and a sloping solution from the Garland Company was finally chosen. . The plan was to provide shared access to five luxury lofts, some of which were under construction at the time. One new tenant decided to rent the penthouse loft, despite a slump in the luxury rental market, because of the proposed garden. However, the garden development had many delays: Because of the high cost associated with the project, other renovation projects took precedence over the garden project, and when the building was sold during Fall of 2003, the green roof garden was not yet completed. The cost per square foot of this retro-fit -8- project would have been it wasn’t completed? approximately USD 42—(34 dollars without landscaping). Unit Who When Design & Planning direct expenses Filing and Building Dept. Approvals Tear-off, Asbestos Removal Masonry, New Coping, Irrigation Green Roof Components & Install Landscaping (supplies and install) Other materials Total Owner (RK) Architect, Expeditor Specialized Firm Roofing Contractor Roofing Contractor Other contractor Miscellaneous Throughout Aug-2002 Sep-2002 Sep-2002 Oct-2003 Not completed Throughout Cost $4,794 $3,381 $5,000 $11,100 $25,900 $12,000 $338 $62,513 Table 4: Green Roof Budget of Luxury Dwelling, New York. The Rooftop Wastelands project (Montreal, 1974 – 1976) Low cost rooftop gardening is not a new phenomenon. This federally funded project took place at McGill and was supported by the Canadian Department of Supply and Services. The Rooftop Wastelands project in downtown Montreal, a 1,000 square meter roof was developed as a community garden intended to serve as both a demonstration of rooftop potential as well as a living classroom that formed an important part of the activities. Comprising about 250 garden containers, a dozen cold frames, three small greenhouses, a compost bin, and a shaded sitting area, about 200 people would partake in gardening and nutrition classes, of which 80 would participate in gardening. The project brought together a team of carpenters, architects, McGill staff and students, and participants from the community. The project had, as its original objectives, both social and technological goals. It was intended to examine the feasibility of small-scale, individually operated food production within the downtown area of a major city. As a result of the activities, a Gardening Supply Store was started where soil, seeds and organic fertilizers were made available to community residents at cost. Response from the community was so enthusiastic that extra courses had to be given and a waiting list were made for those wanting gardening boxes.please comment on this- ie:it was successful? Shows that communities want greenspace and that it when a city helps, it is successful? City of Montreal Community Gardens (Montreal, 1974 – current) During the 2002 Edible Landscapes seminar a review of urban agriculture for food and pleasure was studied in Montreal where about 25,000 people—about 1% of the urban population— -9- participate in government-sponsored community gardens, peri-urban partnerships or other forms of collective urban agriculture, not counting other private forms of enjoying gardening for relaxation and recreation, in which 72% of Canadians participate (4). Currently the number of gardens are around 76, which corresponds to approx. 6,000 garden plots and 10,000 familymembers involved. Each garden has a Garden Committee and an Animatorproject manager? We don’t use this word in the same way in English?, supplied by the City of Montreal. Four t of these community gardens were studied in detail, with important lessons that could be applied for rooftop gardening. Budget of Gardener Yearly fee for (9’ x 18’) plot City Maintenance Fee Yearly seed budget Conserving, canning Total CAD Budget of City $10 $2 $25 $250 +/- $287 2001/2002 Budget, of which: Admin, coordination, publication Per plot, start-up (not including decontamination) Annual maintenance per plot CAD $770,400 $115,000 $2,000 $120 Table 5: Cost-Effective Gardening and Provision of Recreational Services Historically, the community gardens in Montreal have been a populist phenomenon, initiated by a small group of individuals, generally in poor neighborhoodssource?. The phenomenon of community gardening was neither initiated as a policy goal nor was it created, or supplied, through government programs. Initially managed by the Botanical Gardens, the City of Montreal became involved at a very early stage, playing an important role in securing the terrain and providing initial capital investments. The City of Montreal thus played the role as a “facilitator” from the very first community garden, created in 1974you are contradicting yourself here- the city wasn’t involved inititally, but then “initially, managed by ….Be careful about your use of “very early” Montreal is over 300 years old- what do you mean by early? Surely earlier than the 1970’s. This garden, constructed in a lot left vacant after a fire, is indicativehelped? other gardens to follow suit. The number gardens grew in waves corresponding to the energy crisis (1974-1981) and due to growing concerns for the environment and quality of life (1982-1996). Conclusions: City-Building Praxis and Policy Choice The most cost effective greening solutions green roofs? Community gardens? not only cost lessgive some numbers here- you have to substantiate this claim- as compared to what? but, because of their participatory nature tend to facilitate deeper human interactions, create local - 10 - social capital in terms of social activism, and have a lasting and positive urban neighborhood impact. Focusing on residential housing stock, retro-fit projects, and the participation of dwellergrowers in community projects, have the potential to act as a social and economic engine in low-to-moderate income groups, and help integrate recent immigrants, t easing the demographic pressures on the rapidly growing city. Leveraging existing infrastructure In addition to considering the potential for rooftop gardening in residential and community re-fit projects, the community gardens in Montreal are one example of how city municipalities may leverage Park Land zoning to protect garden uses, and leverage capacity from existing departments, such as “Public Works” and “Parks” to set-up and maintain gardening facilities at minimum cost. You haven’t mentioned this before- did they use these tools? If so, mention them before Title- potential problems? In addition to preparing (and decontaminating) the grounds and providing basic security by providing gates and fences, the City of Montreal, regulates access by collecting member fees, maintaining rules and dedicated staff for garden management and training. A similar use of existing infrastructure in conceivable for controlling access and leveraging municipal resources for rooftop gardens in situations where neighborhood topographies and type of housing stock is conducive to rooftop gardening. Also, grower-dwellers must agree to organize socially and commit to the process of setting up and maintaining the rooftop garden. Another element is the increasing costs associated with the decontamination of soils at grade, which could prohibitively expensive (ranging from CAD 400K—1MM per garden in Montreal), contributing to making rooftop gardening the preferred greening solution. Building a green roof is not rocket science-be careful here- green roofs can be difficult technically if not done correctly. Municipalities could both provide minimum coding and promote the supply of affordable materials to realize both modular and permanent green roofing solutions. Incentives and credits for roof retro-fit, could be collected from increased real estate taxes associated with a better maintained housing stock, down the line. Tree-planting at grade, by grower-dwellers (informal settlements) - 11 - Low-Cost More participatory Tree-lined side-walks, by the city municipalities (formally executed) City of Montreal Community Gardens (at grade) Rooftop community garden, Montreal Green roof, luxury dwelling, New York Green roof, condominium developments Nun’s Island, Montreal Green roof, Bonaventure, Montreal- is this the Hilton? Figure 1: Cost of Project vs. Degree of Individual and Community Participation Policy choice Urban design praxis aimed at serving people is a pragmatic decision, because both the interest from the community and their need is manifest (as seen with their enthusiasm for community gardening, good design, etc- and the need for green space for social, economic, environmental reasons, etc.?. Design professionals need to be engaged in policy-making to support urban residential housing and community approaches that integrate living, working, and growing spaces in innovative ways. Minimum cost does not mean cheap, just thoughtful—superior— design?. Municipalities and local governments are thus presented with several greening alternatives, of which rooftop gardens should increasingly become an attractive, preferred alternative in medium-density, medium-rise re-fit and urban renewal projects for the residential sector, targeting individual owners as well as facilitating community participation.This is greatbut you haven’t really proved this yet. You need to strengthen your argument before you can state this.; - 12 - References (1) United Nations Center for Human Settlements (2001). The state of the world cities. Nairobi Habitat. 2001. (2) Rybscinsky, Witold [et al.](1976), Rooftop Wastelands. McGill University. 1976. (3) Kongshaug, Rune [et al.] (expected Summer 2004), Edible Landscapes. McGill University. 2004. (4) City of Toronto, 2004 (5) The Brookings Institution (Rosan, 2003)1 (6) Thinking big had good, bad side, The Gazette Montreal: 23-03-2002 (7) Mildfred F. Schmertz, “ Place Bonaventure: A Unique Urban Complex”, Architectural Record: December 1967 (139) (8) Hotel in the Sky gets a facelift, The Gazette Montreal: 27-05-97 (9) Proment Project: The Culmination of 25 years of Experience, The Gazette Montreal: 13-012003 1 Exact reference will be provided. - 13 -