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three_options [2008-04-01 10:57] – sanjeev | three_options_for_rooftop_gardens [2009-04-21 18:51] (current) – lina | ||
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=== Urban Permaculture: | === Urban Permaculture: | ||
- | These notes form a part of [[sanjeev shankar]]'s research, which is summarised in his [[research_report_sanjeev-shankar|research report]] | + | These notes form a part of [[sanjeev_shankar]]'s research, which is summarised in his [[research_report_sanjeev-shankar|research report]] |
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+ | == Container Gardening == | ||
The first option for rooftop gardening is container gardening, a less formal, highly flexible, cheaper form of roof gardening which is commonly seen in cities worldwide. In container gardening, few to no modifications are made to the existing roof structure; containers – anything from plastic swimming pools to recycled-wood planters – are placed on a rooftop and filled with the desired soil type and plants. One of the problems here is the soil in rooftop containers might thaw on a warm winter day. Further roof container gardens dry out quickly and often require daily watering unless a mulch cover such as straw, wood chips or even a sub-soil layer of newspapers and compost is used to slow down evaporation. Also, in places with extreme climate, the container material must be carefully considered. | The first option for rooftop gardening is container gardening, a less formal, highly flexible, cheaper form of roof gardening which is commonly seen in cities worldwide. In container gardening, few to no modifications are made to the existing roof structure; containers – anything from plastic swimming pools to recycled-wood planters – are placed on a rooftop and filled with the desired soil type and plants. One of the problems here is the soil in rooftop containers might thaw on a warm winter day. Further roof container gardens dry out quickly and often require daily watering unless a mulch cover such as straw, wood chips or even a sub-soil layer of newspapers and compost is used to slow down evaporation. Also, in places with extreme climate, the container material must be carefully considered. | ||
- | The second type of roof garden is green roofs in which the rooftop actually becomes the planting medium. | + | {{: |
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+ | == Green Roofs == | ||
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+ | The second type of roof garden is green roofs in which the rooftop actually becomes the planting medium. | ||
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+ | see as well [[Green Roof Systems]] | ||
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+ | == Rooftop Hydroponics == | ||
The third rooftop garden possibility is rooftop hydroponics, | The third rooftop garden possibility is rooftop hydroponics, | ||
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+ | Another technology spin off of hydroponics is aeroponics, where a hydroponic nutrient solution is sprayed onto plant roots dangling in light-proof boxes. It allows temperate-climate fresh vegetables to be produced economically in tropical and sub-tropical climates. | ||
+ | Aquaponics, on the other hand is the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics. It is the symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic animals in a recirculating environment. Nutrient rich fish water is pumped from the fish tank into gravel beds, where plants growing in the gravel extract the nutrients from the water. The water then drains back into the fish tank cleaned of excess nutrients and freshly oxygenated. Aquaponic systems do not discharge or exchange water. The systems rely on the natural relationship between the aquatic animals and the plants to maintain the environment. Water is only added to replace water loss from absorption by the plants or evaporation into the air.((http:// | ||
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Rooftop gardens: | Rooftop gardens: | ||
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* Retain and utilize rainwater, provide wildlife habitat and enhance the roof membrane life | * Retain and utilize rainwater, provide wildlife habitat and enhance the roof membrane life | ||
* Have an aesthetic appeal creating a private haven | * Have an aesthetic appeal creating a private haven | ||
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Some interesting developments: | Some interesting developments: | ||
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* In Switzerland and parts of Germany, this kind of mental shift – resulting in imagining buildings as displacing and not destroying land surface – has become federal law: developers must either improve the biodiversity of existing land, or transfer the green space that they displace to their rooftop or other building surface. | * In Switzerland and parts of Germany, this kind of mental shift – resulting in imagining buildings as displacing and not destroying land surface – has become federal law: developers must either improve the biodiversity of existing land, or transfer the green space that they displace to their rooftop or other building surface. | ||
* Rooftop gardens are a billion dollar industry in Germany | * Rooftop gardens are a billion dollar industry in Germany | ||
- | * One clause of the Russian law states that authorities are obliged to help gardening associations with roads construction and repair, as well as water drainage and supply. | + | * One clause of the Russian law states that authorities are obliged to help gardening associations with roads construction and repair, as well as water drainage and supply. |
* Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, both used roof gardens extensively in their architecture | * Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, both used roof gardens extensively in their architecture | ||
- | * New York has established a green roof task force, which is exploring direct government support of green roofs, including tax credits and other | + | * New York has established a green roof task force, which is exploring direct government support of green roofs, including tax credits and other incentives |
- | incentives. | + | * The Earth Pledge Foundation in New York strives to address sustainability at the local level – its programs include the Green Roof Initiative, which encourages initiatives to green New York City’s rooftops, and the Waste=Fuel program, |
- | * The Earth Pledge Foundation in New York strives to address sustainability at the local level – its programs include the Green Roof Initiative, which | + | * Hydroponics is found to be way too complex and expensive in lot of eastern countries and some of african countries too. In these places, roof gardens build out of local materials are most suitable. They are repair and maintained by the communities themselves. This is seen in places like India, St. Petersburg and Senegal. Infact, in Senegal people have devised a local solution using bricks and wooden box beds. In India too, the use of locally available cheap materials to create roof gardens is most successful. The 'Doshi System' |
- | encourages initiatives to green New York City’s rooftops, and the Waste=Fuel program, | + | * Singapore Government’s objective is to displace around 20% of the annual consumption of 380,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables consumed each year with local production (currently at only 5% pa of the total), this is significant justification for more serious analysis of rooftop production of fresh vegetables across the whole of Singapore. The Asian city-state is also closely lookingn at new equipment from Australia that is being developed for sub-tropical and tropical hydroponics, |
- | * Hydroponics is found to be way too complex and expensive in lot of eastern countries and some of african countries too. In these places, roof gardens build out of local materials are most suitable. They are repair and maintained by the communities themselves. This is seen in places like India, St. Petersburg and Senegal. Infact, in Senegal people have devised a local solution using bricks and wooden box beds. In India too, the use of locally available cheap materials to create roof gardens is most successful. The “Doshi System” is offered as the most suitable method. It uses sugarcane stalks, collected from sugarcane juice vendors outside of his house, as biomass. This is lightweight, | + | * An interesting case study to solve the problem of soil load in roof gardens is //midorie// - a new environment greening project which delivers soil-less roof and wall garden system.((http:// |
The most significant challenges facing roof top gardens in all its forms are issues of access and roof load capacity. These barriers are especially problematic in liability-obsessed countries like the United States, although concerns for safety and building protection are certainly valid. Lack of | The most significant challenges facing roof top gardens in all its forms are issues of access and roof load capacity. These barriers are especially problematic in liability-obsessed countries like the United States, although concerns for safety and building protection are certainly valid. Lack of | ||
- | knowledge or incentives, funding, water supply, safety, and the harshness of rooftop environments are also major barriers. Still, rooftop agriculture is slowly becoming more common, particularly in the developing world, where rooftop food production may have a significant impact on food security and income, solutions are creative and site-specific, | + | knowledge or incentives, funding, water supply, safety, and the harshness of rooftop environments are also major barriers. Still, rooftop agriculture is slowly becoming more common, particularly in the developing world, where rooftop food production may have a significant impact on food security and income, solutions are creative and site-specific, |
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+ | For more details and case studies about rooftop gardens around the world, please click on the documents below: | ||
+ | * {{: | ||
+ | * {{: | ||
+ | * {{: | ||
- | For more details and case studies about rooftop gardens around the world, please click on the link below. This is a senior honors thesis from Cornell University. {{: | + | Other important links: |
- | Other important links are: | + | * http:// |
- | * http:// | + | * http:// |
- | * http:// | + |