Urban Greening

Climate Change and scarcity of water are among the most concerned and challenging environmental issues in the world. Both problems can impact our living enormously. Urban Greening is a good starting point if we hope our world still be inhabitable for our next generation.

About
Urban Greening

Urban Greening, which generally refers to public landscaping and urban forestry project which create mutual benefits to the environment and the people living in the area. Green building is often the first few things that people associate with urban greening. Green building refers to a building with green plants, such as flowers pots, planting blanket, attached directly or indirectly aiming to bring about a noticeable improvement in urban greenery. The greenery could be either on the external surface of buildings (usually the roof or exterior wall) or internal wall, creating a green environment, improving aesthetic and energy-saving effects. This concept involves green walls, green roofs, etc.

Benefits of Green Roof

Stormwater Management

Green roofs have proven to be able to retain about 60-100% of rainfall. Improved stormwater retention reduces flooding incident and other related disasters. As a result, green roof systems are recognised as an effective tool for stormwater management in highly developed urban areas.

Heat Island Effect

Urban heat island effect is the difference in temperature between urban areas and the surrounding countryside.

Plants on green surface absorb the heat and release through evapotranspiration. According to research analysis, green building can also lower the indoor temperature by 3-9 ℃ comparing to the outdoor temperature. Outdoor ambient temperature is also expected to be reduced by about 4 ℃. In addition to cooling effect, other functions, such as increase of humidity, isolation of noise, protection from air pollution were also addressed by research.

Green Therapy

Green roof not only provide a better outlook to ordinary concrete buildings, it also allows staffs and visitors to have an outdoor green space to escape from their busy urban life. Psychological studies have demonstrated that the restorative effect of natural scenery holds the viewer’s attention, diverts their awareness away from themselves and worrisome thoughts and elicits a meditation-like state. Hence, green roof (urban greening) is also therapeutic.