Urban Resilience through Green Roofing: A Literature Review on Dual Environmental Benefits

¹ School of Arts, Shandong Jianzhu University, Licheng District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
³ J. A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, MA 02138 Cambridge, USA
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA 02139 Cambridge, USA
⁵ Department of Mathematics, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
⁶ Irrigation and Water Utilization Management Department, Yangon, Myanmar

^* Corresponding author: asoe121@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Abstract

Urban areas face significant environmental challenges, notably rainwater management and the urban heat island effect. As sustainable ecological infrastructures, Green roofs provide dual benefits in addressing these issues. The literature review thoroughly explores how effective green roofs are at boosting urban resilience by mitigating Urban Heat Island effects and enhancing stormwater control. Findings across various studies indicate that green roofs could significantly reduce surface and ambient temperatures, with some studies reporting surface temperature reductions of up to 30 °C. Additionally, green roofs contribute to stormwater management by retaining at lseast 51% of annual rainfall, thereby reducing runoff volume and peak flow rates. By synthesizing data from 28 case studies worldwide, this review highlights the substantial environmental benefits green roofs offer in urban settings. Our analysis suggests that broader implementation and further research into green roof technologies are essential for sustainable urban development. This paper calls for increased integration of green roofs into urban planning to leverage their environmental benefits, particularly in mitigating climate change impacts and enhancing urban ecological systems.