Copenhagen is about to get a lot more green. Image: Shutterstock
Denmark’s capital is set to become a city of sky gardens, with the passing of a mandatory green roof law for new buildings.
All newly constructed buildings with less than 30-degree roof slopes will be required to install vegetation, such as grass or gardens, on the flat part of the roof. The law also applies to buildings that are being refurbished.
The move is part of the city of Copenhagen’s ambitious plan to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025. Copenhagen currently has around 200,000 square metres of flat roofing across its cityscape. Lawmakers hope the plan will help with cooling and insulation, counteract increased temperatures caused by the urban landscape and increase the life of the roofing membrane by protecting it from UV rays.
[via Good]
Sander Tams
December 17, 2010
That’s amazing!
I can’t wait to go and live there. The city is already a wonderful place quite unlike most other capitals and I’m sure that, in time, this decision will help make it just slightly more unique.
It surprises me that it got through just like that. Denmark did seem to me as having started to fall a little behind or at the least slow down on the development for a better climate. Hopefully more good initiatives like this will keep coming in so that we can pick up the pace again.