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New York as it should be: rich in roof gardens, parks and pools

New York requires re-vegetation - at roof garden level. New York was the greatest high-rise city of the twentieth century - and could become the greatest roof garden city of the twenty-first century. The advantages of roof gardens are:

1. quiet green space and gardens for New York's office workers to enjoy sun, air and water
2. better management of urban runoff - because roof gardens detain and transpire water
3. less particulate load in the air (and less asthma) because roof gardens turn dust into soil
4. a quieter New York, because roof gardens absorb noise
5. less energy consumption by the city, because roof gardens provide insulation ('cool when its hot and warm when its not')
6. fitter and healthier New Yorkers, because exercise facilities can be made available on rooftop greenspace
7. a more beautiful city, because everyone loves greenery
8. more birds in New York, becaue roof gardens provide habitat space for feeding and breeding
9. less carbon dioxide in the air - and therefore less global warming

See note on sustainable landscape design

• 5 months ago Anonymous said

  Unfortunately roof gardens require specialized buildings because of the extreme weight of water-logged soil and mature plants. The buildings pictured in this photoshopped image would collapse.
  A green-roofed city would need to be built from near scratch, not just retro-fitted.

• over 1 year ago Anonymous said

  A modern day hanging gardens of Babylon.

• about 3 years ago Anonymous said

  Agreed.