Green rooftops could be required in the city of Denver if the idea makes it to ballot and then passes.
A group by the name of The Denver Green Roof Initiative is hoping that "living rooftops" will be present on all new construction and existing buildings over 25,000 square feet. This environmentally conscious group is attempting to get an initiative on the November ballot that would actually require every building of a certain size to have rooftop gardens. Founder of The Denver Green Roof Initiative, Brandon Rietheimer, states:There's so many good things, and so few drawbacks. They clean our air and sequester carbon. They increase a building's energy efficiency by lowering temperatures of the building."Green rooftops have more to them than just looks. When green rooftops are present, the urban heat island effect is reduced. The urban heat island effect is when the temperature raises about five degrees due to a large presence of concrete and buildings. According to Rietheimer, Denver has the third-highest urban heat island effect in the nation. [gallery ids="10113,10112"] While Rietheimer and others within The Denver Green Roof Initiative believe that this is a great idea, the Colorado Apartment Association does not. The CAA acknowledges the benefits of green rooftops, but disagrees with the required implementation of green rooftops in every building of a certain size.
The incoming president of the CAA remarked in a recent statement:
The Colorado Apartment Association and the commercial real estate industry in general agree that green roofs (or living roofs as they are sometimes called) are a great solution to the urban heat island effect, are an effective roof insulator, and are aesthetically pleasing. We strongly disagree with mandating the installation of these green roofs, even with sensible exemptions. These roofs are costly to install and to maintain. Denver is already experiencing an affordability problem in residential and commercial real estate, so let’s not make this affordability problem worse with costly mandates. Allow the market to work and let buildings that choose to install green roofs experience the competitive advantage that these roofs will likely provide. Other buildings will follow to maintain competitive equality. We have seen this voluntary building standard work very effectively with the LEED energy certifications. We believe the green roofs program will have similar success by allowing the market to demand their installation."While there are a lot of benefits to green rooftops, it appears the CAA believes it to be too costly. Just for starters, extra maintenance will be required for these green rooftops. Do the benefits outweigh the negatives? Would you enjoy a living garden on the top of your apartment building? Let us know in the comments!
