The Problem
Greenroofs are a powerful way to mitigate climate change. Many studies have shown how these structures can lessen the negative effects of the urban heat island effect, decrease emissions tied to cooling and heating of buildings (by moderating temperatures), minimizing runoff (which often contains harmful pollutants), and provide benefit to the community by increasing access to green spaces in cities. Integrating urban planning with sustainability is a vital goal we must focus on in our cities, especially in areas and neighborhoods that suffer the brunt of these negative effects due to environmental injustice.
Our Plan
We are implementing a pilot greenroofing research program on a plot on our campus in Boston, MA. After months of environmental design, planning, and working with teams and people from our university, we have successfully planted our rooftop garden. We are currently installing sensors to measure specific parameters, such as temperature and runoff, to compare these metrics between our positive and negative controls with the hope of gathering substantial data on the positive effects of greenroofs in cities. We have presented at multiple conferences and events and are hoping to expand our project in the next year, connecting with other universities. We hope to inspire students to take action on issues they're passionate about. We're incredibly grateful for the support of a R&S Project Grant we received for this project.
