A means of environmental improvement
Easing heat islands, managing rainwater and restoring ecosystems
Green and soil improve the urban environment on many fronts — easing heat islands, infiltrating rainwater and restoring ecosystems. The farm is a hands-on means of environmental improvement close to home.
260 related cases
Cases where this shows up
UW Biodiversity Green Wall & Edible Green Screen
USSeattle, United States
A demonstration completed in fall 2012 that turned two concrete walls at the University of Washington's Gould Hall into urban habitat, combining a biodiversity green wall, an edible green screen, and rainwater harvesting. Roof-collected rainwater irrigates hop and kiwi vines, demonstrating reduced energy use, heat-island mitigation, and increased urban biodiversity.
sustainability.uw.edu+1
Kampung Glintung Go Green (3G)
IDMalang, Indonesia
Launched in February 2012 by RW 23 leader Bambang Irianto in Malang's Purwantoro area, 'Glintung Go Green (3G)' is a resident movement that transformed a flood-prone, crime- and sanitation-challenged kampung through alley-wall gardens, vertical farming and water-infiltration wells, achieving food security and environmental improvement.
mongabay.co.id+1
DakAkker
NLRotterdam, Netherlands
A rooftop farm opened in 2012 on the Schieblock in central Rotterdam, the largest open-air roof farm in the Netherlands and an educational hub for urban agriculture and climate resilience.
dakakker.nl+1
Jardins Partagés (Main Verte), Paris
FRParis, France
A shared-garden framework based on the City of Paris's 2003 'Main Verte' (Green Hand) charter, under which resident associations run gardens on city plots, committing to public access, events, composting and organic growing to spread social bonds and greenery.
paris.fr+1
Orti Dipinti Community Garden
ITFlorence, Italy
Located on Borgo Pinti in Florence's historic centre, said to be the only urban garden inside the UNESCO World Heritage zone. It regenerated a disused athletics track, practising sustainable growing with recycled materials and water-saving irrigation alongside food and environmental education. It is known for creating community space and greenery in the heart of a tourist city.
ortidipinti.it+2
Ortoalto Le Fonderie Ozanam (OrtiAlti Rooftop Garden)
ITTurin, Italy
A 150 m² community roof garden created on a former factory building in Turin, directly linked to the restaurant below. As the first 'ortoalto' (elevated garden), it demonstrates a model for regenerating unused urban rooftops as places of food production, employment and neighbourhood exchange, and is referenced in Italy and abroad as an approach to rooftop-led urban regeneration.
torinosocialimpact.it+2
Supporting research
Review of the Benefits of Green Roofs
This review emphasizes the multiple environmental, economic, energy, and social benefits of green roofs installed on urban buildings. Green roofs are reported to remove atmospheric pollutants, release oxygen, mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce building energy consumption, improve rainwater management, and promote urban agriculture. Their construction is financially subsidized in several countries due to these benefits, which contribute to urban sustainability and resident well-being.
Consultant Engineer, 107B El. Venizelou str., 73132, Chania, Crete, Greece, John Vourdoubas · 2024 · International Journal of Current Science Research and Review
Report on the Environmental Benefits and Costs of Green Roof Technology for the City of Toronto
This report presents findings on the municipal-level benefits of implementing green roof technology in Toronto, Canada. Quantifiable monetary benefits included stormwater flow reduction (including impact on combined sewer overflow), air quality improvement, reduced direct energy use, and reduction in the urban heat island effect. Other benefits like aesthetic improvement, increased property values, use as amenity spaces, food production, and increased biodiversity were identified but could not be quantified in this report, requiring further work.
Banting Doug, Doshi Hitesh, Li James et al. · 2005 · Munich Personal RePEc Archive (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)
물-에너지-식량을 연계한 오목형 옥상녹화
A comparative study of a concave green roof and a normal roof was conducted on building #35 at Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. The study aimed to validate the effects on urban flood mitigation, urban heat island reduction, and food production. The concave green roof demonstrated a 60% reduction in peak flow quantity, a 3-hour delay in peak time, and stored 6.7 tons of rainwater per 140 m². A temperature difference of 27 °C was observed, and the 420 m² green roof for urban agriculture is managed by over 30 households near the campus.
Soyoung 백소영Baek, Mooyoung 한무영Han · 2015 · 한국생태환경건축학회 학술발표대회 논문집
Urban Greenery and Urban Agriculture
This article describes urban greenery and urban agriculture as components of modern city planning, outlining their roles in environmental sustainability, food security, and public health. Urban greenery is presented as improving air quality and reducing the urban heat island effect, while urban agriculture is noted for enabling local food production and fostering community engagement. The text also discusses their benefits for mental health, carbon sequestration, and economic development, emphasizing the need for policies and regulations.
Ariva Sugandi Permana · 2025 · doi.org