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Practical strategies for implementing green roof technologies toward a livable, affordable and sustainable community in Burnaby Mountain

University of British Columbia

With the rapid pace of urbanization in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, sustainable development is increasingly important to the economy, ecology and equity of the region. Simon Fraser UniverCity Community Trust intends to create a "vibrant, self-sustaining community for its well-planned neighborhood, its strong links to the university and its deep respect for the natural heritage of Burnaby Mountain."¹ Huge efforts toward sustainability have been put into this entire new community development by wide range of disciplines in the past few years. However the lose of green space has changed Burnaby Mountain forever. As an approved technology of sustainable development, which has been widely practiced in Europe, the green roof is a creative way to increase green space, save energy and reduce stormwater runoff. But the lack of knowledge, awareness and technical support creates uncertainty in designers, developers, and contractors. Above all, the costs of green roofs have always been a big concern. Literature about green roofs is confusing from the economic point of view. Some authors claim that a green roof can cost twice as much or more than conventional roofs. Others think that it is a cost-effective way to achieve the environmental and aesthetic goals of a project. This research project will take a closer look at green roof technologies, discuss green roofs from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon to modern examples, identify the benefits that green roofs could offer to Burnaby Mountain and surrounding areas, discover how much the benefits can offset the costs and explore practical strategies of implementing green roof technologies toward a livable, affordable and sustainable community in Burnaby Mountain.

Text

2009-12-11

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/16469

Landscape Architecture

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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