A Roof with a View: Parking Facilities Generating a New Kind of Green

Green roofs—roofs with soil and vegetation—atop parking facilities are the subject of this article. The author provides a history of the use of green roofs in Europe, and describes what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes as “green roofs.” The primary advantage of green roofs over parking areas is to reduce “heat islands”; vegetation on a green roof can absorb up to 80 percent of the sun’s heat energy and reduce the release of CO2, which is absorbed by the plants. Green roofs are also aesthetically pleasing. There are pros and cons, however, to constructing green roofs on parking structures, among them, increased cost and risk of water leaking into the facilities interior. The article includes several brief sidebar articles that describe advantages and disadvantages of green roofs, sample costs, lessons learned from Chicago’s Millenium Park green roof project, and the EPA’s definitions of green roofs.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/3041176
• Authors:
  • Munn, Charlie
• Publication Date: 2009-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 50-56
• Serial:
  • Parking
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: National Parking Association
  • ISSN: 0031-2193

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pollution; Environmental impacts; Environmental protection; Environmental quality; Greenhouse effect; Parking facilities; Roofs
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01139155
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 31 2009 9:25AM