At the beginning of April 2019, at the EUGIC 2019 (European Urban Green Infrastructure Conference), Shirley Rodriguez, London's Deputy Mayor for the Environment, presented the London Green Roof Report 2019, a report on the implementation of the capital's rooftop greening program launched in 2008. ZinCo, one of the most important players in the green roof market, sponsored this show.
The total area of green roofs in Greater London (according to 2017 data) is 1.5 million square meters. or 0.17 sq.m. per person. These figures are twice as many as in 2010! Growth was particularly strong in 2016-2017, when the total number of green roofs increased by 31%. As in many other cities in the world, roofs with extensive greening make up 75% of the total, of which 11% are solar-powered. Intensive landscaping is used on 25% of roofs. In addition, 42% of the total English green roof market is concentrated in the capital.
As for the center of London, the area of "green" roofs there is growing every year. For 10 years, the specific area of plantings on the roofs per person has grown from 0.89 to 1.27 sq. M. - this is more than in a number of the largest cities in the world that are also actively involved in landscaping their roofs Their total area according to 2017 data is 290,000 sq. M.
The report presents the first complete map of green roofs in all of London. It is accompanied by detailed information on roof types / areas / densities per inhabitant. Maps of this level of detail have never been published before.
It was also noted that, with the growth of large cities, the approach to the practice of greening roofs should also change. It is critical that emerging trends such as bio-solar roofs (combining green roofs and solar panels) and so-called blue-green roofs capable of storing rainwater become part of the standard urban planner's toolkit. Material provided by the company "Tsinko RUS"
