Chicago's Green Roof Revolution

Chicago has launched a green roof revolution. Mayor Daley's vision has made Chicago the No. 1 installer of green roofs for three years running, and the idea is catching on. Green roofs absorb rainwater, alleviating the strain on urban sewer and stormwater systems. And they help cool cities, where light-absorbent asphalt and other dark surfaces can increase summer temperatures as much as 10 degrees. A cooler local climate means less strain on the power supply from air conditioners, and more importantly, fewer deaths from heat stress. Chicago (Pop. 2,842,518) requires green roofs on certain new construction, including any that uses city money, it encourages building them on all projects, and it has offered grants to homeowners and small business owners who want to install green roofs on their own buildings. "Chicago is definitely the leader and inspiration for others," said Steven Peck, the founding president of Green Roofs for Health Cities, an industry group. Peck credits the city with inspiring a 25 percent increase in green roof installation across the country last year, as more cities set similar incentives for building gardens. Even the American Society of Landscape Architects, which last year installed a green roof on its headquarters in Washington, D.C. - another green roof leader. The Innovators The Daily Green highlights innovative strategies being used to better the environment. For more innovators, click these links: Plymouth's Local Food Web Boulder's Eternal Sunshine Clean Mobility in the Twin Cities