Although green roofs have been widely adopted in urban areas to reduce the heat island effect and stormwater runoff, Mexico City is hoping that vegetative rooftops can also reduce the city’s air pollution.
Green roofs are increasingly being installed on schools and other buildings in the megalopolis of 21 million people to absorb smog and metal particles in the air. More than 236,000 sf of green roofs adorn the environment about the cityscape as the government continues to invest in the concept.
Last year, Mexico City spent almost $1million on the green roofs project, bringing the total area of green roofs in hospitals, schools and government buildings. This year, the investment is expected to rise by a third.
Unhealthy air can be so severe, that the government sometimes imposes a no-driving ban for a percentage of vehicles identified by license plate color or numbers. The city has made progress in removing air pollutants by moving refineries outside city limits and introducing cleaner buses, but more needs to be done, officials say.
(http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/apr/24/mexico-city-roof-gardens-pollution-smog)
Related Stories
| Apr 16, 2012
University of Michigan study seeks to create efficient building design
The result, the researchers say, could be technologies capable of cutting the carbon footprint created by the huge power demands buildings place on the nation’s electrical grid.
| Apr 13, 2012
Congress’s action doesn’t mean Pentagon can’t build LEED gold structures
Though Congress passed a defense budget preventing the Department of Defense from spending money to achieve LEED gold or platinum certification, the Pentagon may still end up constructing buildings to those standards.
| Apr 13, 2012
International Living Building Institute certifies first two Net Zero Energy buildings
A community building in Oregon and an office building in California are the first two projects to earn net-zero status under the International Living Building Institute’s Net Zero Energy Certification program.
| Apr 13, 2012
New York City’s building department investigating structural collapse that killed worker
Following a worker’s death, the collapse of a century-old, two-story warehouse under demolition as part of Columbia University’s expansion is under investigation by the city’s Building Department.
| Apr 13, 2012
Federal court reduces statute of limitations for OSHA action on record-keeping violations
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sharply curtailed the period of time that companies can be cited for Occupational Safety and Health reporting violations, reversing the decision of an administrative panel and longstanding agency precedent.
| Apr 13, 2012
CSI webinar: Green Construction Codes Are Here -- Now What?
This seminar will trace the origins of green codes, how they compare and differ from the rating systems that have been used, and examine some of their main features.
| Apr 5, 2012
Retailers, banks among most affected by new ADA rules
On March 15, the most significant changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) since it became law in 1991 went into effect.
| Apr 5, 2012
Florida ranks first in hurricane building codes and enforcement
Florida ranks highest among 18 hurricane-region states for building codes and their enforcement, according to the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
