Green roof strategy: model structure and templates
One of the key tasks of the GRAD project was the development of a model green roof strategy structure and templates that could be used by any interested city to elaborate its own strategy. The model strategy is based on the experiences of the city of Hamburg and was adapted to Polish legal, economic and social conditions, as well as specific challenges related with climate adaptation. Since the model might be of interest also for other EU cities, the template is being translated to English and shall be published here soon. Stay tuned!
The model strategy structure is composed of the following elements:
Introduction – summary of the strategy including the motives for its development, key assumptions and foreseen support schemes for green roofs.
Types of green roofs and the costs of their construction – short presentation of different types of green roofs and comparisons of costs related with traditional bituminous roof construction and green roof construction.
Advantages of green roofs – presentation of environmental and economic benefits, for which it is worth to promote and support construction of green roofs.
Description of initial state – description of the city’s baseline situation when it comes to the key climate hazards that it needs to face, as well as necessary climate adaptation measures and actions.
Stakeholders – presentation of groups, institutions and people potentially interested in the development of green roofs within the city territory, as well as being able to support their promotion.
Vision – description of the city’s long-term vision concerning use of green roofs as a tool for climate adaptation.
Targets – detailed description of the targets that the city wants to reach by promoting and facilitating construction of green roofs. Following the model strategy’s assumptions the key area, for which the targets should be set, is adaptation to climate change but the targets might be formulated also for complementary areas (environmental protection, economy, society).
Preparatory activities – description of preparatory activities that need to be carried out to implement the strategy successfully. They include setting up of the team responsible for the strategy, collection and elaboration of necessary data and – if the city finds it reasoned – construction of a model green roof on the building/facility prepared for construction or renovation already at the strategy development stage.
Fields of action – indication of focus areas, in the framework of which the city plans actions aiming at the promotion and facilitation of the construction of green roofs, as well as the description of support schemes to be implemented in each area. In Hamburg’s strategy these were the three areas (which were therefore proposed and described also in the model structure and related templates):
- Support for public and private investors – promoting green roofs through the implementation of such support measures as local co-funding programme, cost reliefs for the investors and sharing information about other (external) funding opportunities.
- Social dialogue – promoting green roofs through the dissemination of knowledge on this important green infrastructure element and engaging in a dialogue with the professional community.
- Local regulations – promoting green roofs through better use of available legal instruments (e.g. introduction of relevant provisions in local spatial development plans).
Cooperation with scientific society – description of the foreseen cooperation with the scientific and research society, which will support the city in strategy’s implementation.
Implementation – description of the way the strategy will be implemented, evaluated and promoted.
Financing – indication how the city will guarantee funds for the strategy implementation, as well as for financing the support schemes foreseen therein.
Summary
The respective chapters contain more detailed description of different strategy elements together with relevant instructions, exemplary texts/provisions, references to the Hamburg’s strategy and links to supporting templates, helping in data collection.
