An upcoming Los Angeles symposium will focus on greening the city's rooftops and overcoming the high implementation costs that have kept gardens off the roofs of skyscrapers.
Developing new and existing buildings to incorporate rooftop gardens can be expensive, but the benefits are far-reaching, according to Steven Peck, president of Toronto-based Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the host of this week's Los Angeles Green Roof Market Development Symposium.
"'Green roofs turn roofs as hotplates into roofs as air conditioners,' Peck said. 'You get enough of these air conditioners on the rooftops of L.A., you actually bring the temperature of L.A. down, and that improves air quality, reduces energy consumption and makes the place more livable.'"
"Targeted at planners, architects and developers, the June 7 event at the Metropolitan Water District headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles will highlight case studies of local green roof projects, the obstacles to making more of them and ways to drum up investment."
The juniper-topped Theodore Alexander Jr. Science Center School in Exposition Park is one of the only examples of a "green roof" in downtown L.A. A strong proponent green roofs and a featured speaker at the symposium, City Councilman Ed Reyes sees much more potential for rooftop gardens Downtown.
FULL STORY: The Hidden Green

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie