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Environment
Chicago No. 1 for Roofs Planted
(midwest.construction.com,
July 2006 issue)
A first-of-its-kind industry survey
shows that Chicago is the No. 1 city in North America for
green roofs.
Toronto-based Green Roofs for Healthy
Cities, a non-profit industry association whose mission is
to increase the development of the green roof industry in
North America, announced the results from the first survey
of its corporate members independently administered by Kendon
Light, E.A.
The top ten cities by square footage
planted in 2005 are as follows:
1. Chicago
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Suitland, Md.
4. Ashburn, Va.
5. New York
6. Culpepper, Va.
7. Austin, Texas
8. Arlington, Va.
9. Des Moines, Iowa
10. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The survey asked member-companies to
report on their completed 2004 and 2005 green roof projects
in North America.
Results indicate a 72 percent growth
in green roof square footage across North America between
2004 and 2005, and over 80 percent growth in the United States.
North American green roof infrastructure
implementation increased from 1.3 million sq. ft. in 2004
to 2.5 million sq. ft. in 2005.
Green roof infrastructure involve the
use of technologies that incorporate drainage systems, high
quality waterproofing, a root-repellant layer, specialized
growing media and specially selected plants onto the roofs
of buildings.
In other news, four Chicago-area companies
were nominated for Green Roof Award of Excellence presented
by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
They comprise American Hydrotech in
Chicago; Jacobs/Ryan Associates, also in Chicago, Weston Solutions
Inc., also in Chicago; and Wight & Co. in Darien.
The Green Roof Award of Excellence involves
three awards for extensive green roofs (roofs with 6 inches
or less of growing media throughout) and three for intensive
green roofs (roofs with more than six inches of growing medium).
Award winners were to be honored
at GRHC's Gala Awards Luncheon held in conjunction with the
Fourth Annual International Greening Rooftops for Sustainable
Communities Conference and Trade Show in Boston.
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