Green Spaces On City Rooftops

An aerial view of most major Australian cities shows only the occasional green patch, stark against an endless procession of grey concrete roofs, paths, car parks and bitumen roads. Now gardeners are joining forces with architects to restore a little greenery to our cities by taking advantage of a little-used space – the roof.

As our climate grows inexorably hotter, it’s not unusual for city dwellers to experience daily temperatures more than 7°C higher than those living outside the built-up areas. And such temperature rises in our urban spaces can’t all be blamed on climate change. We have created urban heat islands in our cities by removing the best natural air-conditioning: plants. When we erect concrete jungles, we trap heat rather than regulating it through our flora.

“Interest in green roofs is growing substantially around the world,” says Australian landscape architect Jock Gammon.