Planting The Seeds For Green Roofs

A plant company owner in San Diego, California, is hoping his new vegetated roof will help the concept catch on with others in the region.

1 minute read

March 10, 2007, 1:00 PM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"In a gritty industrial section of Kearny Mesa, 'plantscaper' Jim Mumford is putting down roots. On his roof. The result, which will come to life this morning, is an elevated oasis in a desert of concrete and metal."

"Experts in the expanding field of ecologically friendly designs don't expect hordes of Mumford's neighbors to join him any time soon. But the idea of vegetated roofs, already popular in Chicago, New York and elsewhere, is growing in Southern California."

" 'You are going to see it more and more,' said Pat Caughey of San Diego, president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. 'It isn't as technically difficult as it used to be.' "

"One local hang-up has been a lack of examples of how to make a vegetated roof look good and function properly. That could change with Mumford's installation."

" 'I think having a local project that takes the lead like this will definitely help with the naysayers,' said Stephen L. Kapp, San Diego chapter president of the U.S. Green Building Council."

Thursday, March 8, 2007 in The San Diego Union-Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

5 hours ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

6 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

7 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive