Greening Urban Centers: Assessment of Green Roof Garden Feasibility in Vancouver, British Columbia

In the last decade, there has been a rapid increase in research on green roof gardens. Green roof gardens take advantage of Vancouver’s high annual precipitation and make better use of the large impermeable areas. Green roofs have been proposed as an effective and promising practice to mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanization and adapt to changing climate while providing numerous environmental, economic, social, and health benefits. This paper reviewed the literature and case studies globally, using a systematic view to analyze the potential impacts of green roof gardens on both the natural environment and human society, especially focusing on how green roof gardens can benefit the environment, economy, society, and human health. The paper also investigated the opportunities and challenges of green roof garden construction. Numerous benefits are potentially beneficial as a feasible solution for the renovation of existing buildings, current promotional incentive policies, and a large proportion of roof areas in Vancouver.

Through an integrated assessment, the feasibility of green roof gardens construction in Vancouver, BC is considered high. However, the main challenges of green roof construction involve roof leakage, structural failure, high construction costs, and maintenance costs. In order to maximize the benefits and performance of green roofs, recommendations about improving green roof garden construction and design are provided. These challenges can be addressed by improved planning, more cost-effective design, new technology, and interdisciplinary collaboration.