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June 2009
In This Issue
Greenroofs.com News
Greenroofs of the World Calendar
Industry News
NewsLinks
Upcoming Events
Greenroofs.com News

We're fine tuning our new WebTV series "Sky Gardens" which will premiere on our own Greenroofs.TV and on the GreenroofsTV channel on YouTube shortly. You can see the 7-minute trailer on our Home Page now!

As it turned out, we couldn't attend the 2nd International Green Roof Congress in historic Stuttgart-N�rtingen as expected in late May - it was simply too close to the Atlanta Conference...But not to worry! Christine Th�ring, our Student Editor and Green Roof Trekker extraordinaire, filled in for us nicely, and even rode on the Zeppelin that we wanted to do over Lake Constance and numerous greenroofs! Read her Exclusive Report on the 2nd International Green Roof Congress 2009 in N�rtingen!

The 7th Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards and Trade Show in Atlanta, GA at the beginning of June was a huge success and a lot of fun, too!  People came from far and near to share in the sights and sounds of Atlanta, learn from industry experts, visit with colleagues, and some hardy souls ventured to take the somewhat dreaded GRP exam!  For a recap of the activities that we were involved in, read Linda's Sky Gardens posts at right.
Greenroofs of the World Calendar
 
2009 Greenroofs of the World Calendar2009 Greenroofs of the World 12-Month Wall Calendar is available at only $12.95 each, including S&H, (less for quantity purchases)!  Our 11" x 18" full-color glossy 2009 Calendar is full of beautiful living roof projects from Spain, Canada, Germany and across the U.S., plus green building events from all over the world.
 
The 2009 Greenroofs of the World 12-Month Wall Calendar:

June features a "Private Corporate Headquarters" with an Extensive & Intensive Greenroof in Northbrook, Illinois, USA. The cafeteria at this corporate office complex looks out onto an extensive modular green roof featuring new GreenGrid G3 modules, which were planted at a local nursery and grown out for three months prior to delivery. The roof design also includes an accessible patio area which features a small intensive garden and custom planter boxes for trees. The plant mix uses ten varieties, bordered by a monoculture of Sedum kamtschaticum.

Do you want your project included in the new Greenroofs of the World 2010 Wall Calendar? Click here for more information.
Industry News

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities: Did you take the Accredited Green Roof Professional (GRP) exam in Atlanta? The green roof industry in North America is rapidly expanding and the need for trained professionals who are familiar with green roof benefits, design, implementation, and technology has never been greater! As an accredited Green Roof Professional, you will be able to distinguish yourself in the marketplace with knowledge of the special requirements and challenges of green roofs from design through to maintenance. [06.05.09]
 
DC Greenworks: The DDOE Pilot Green Roof Subsidy, administered by DC Greenworks, is back and bigger than before. The subsidy will fund $5.00 a square foot up to $20,000.00 per project subsidizing green roofs up to 4000 square feet of vegetative space. Read the Press Release "DC Greenworks Applauds Record Expansion of Washington DC Green Roof Subsidy Program." [06.02.09]

City of Toronto: Toronto City Council Adopts Mandatory Green Roof Requirements: the City of Toronto passed a new green roof by-law with overwhelming support on May 26, 2009. The green roof by-law consists of a green roof construction standard and a mandatory requirement for green roofs on all classes of new buildings. The by-law requires up to 50 per cent green roof coverage on multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, schools, non-profit housing, commercial and industrial buildings. Larger residential projects require greater green roof coverage, ranging anywhere from 20 to 50 per cent of the roof area. [05.26.09]

New York City Buildings Department: The Department has launched a new process for Green Roofs and Solar Electric Generating Systems tax abatements. This process will involve new job filing and abatement application filing procedures in the New York City boroughs for 2010 thru 2013. [05.20.09]
NewsLinks

Tokyo, Japan
Walk in the park? Tokyo residents head skywards
Reuters, by Toshi Maeda
The cramped, concrete jungle that is Tokyo, one of the world's most densely populated cities, has little space for parks. But things are starting to look up. In an attempt to add a little greenery to the concrete, many city roofs have been converted into gardens. Rooftop planting has been on the rise since the city government, eight years ago, made it mandatory for new commercial buildings to cover at least 20 percent of available space with greenery. [6.22.09]

Auckland, New Zealand
Insurance building sets green example
New Zealand Herald, by Anne Gibson
Auckland's new NZI Centre uses state-of-the-art features to make the five-level block environmentally friendly. Green features include lifts in the curved block that generate electricity on the descent, feeding power back into the building's supply, and a roof-top garden with space to seat large groups on the top level. Vines have been planted which will rise up vertical wires to eventually create green living walls between floors. [6.21.09]

Shanghai, China
Shanghai government promoting green roofs to fight climate change
Channel News Asia, by Glenda Chong
Gardens are sprouting up on rooftops across Shanghai, as part of an effort to fight climate change. Research has shown that these rooftop gardens can save energy and reduce pollution. The government started promoting green roofs at the end of 2003, encouraging government departments, hospitals and schools to convert their rooftops. [6.20.09]

World
Meeting of the Minds: Elite Leaders Meet to Rethink Cities
Daily Green, by Jim Motavalli
Working toward a sustainable future with urban planning and new urbanism was the focus of the third annual 'Meeting of the Minds 2009,' sponsored by Toyota, the World Bank, Zipcar, Siemens and others. The Manhattan conference aims to take a fresh look at cities; for example, the mayor of The Hague in the Netherlands and head of the Eurocities group said some 80,000 houses are getting green roofs. [6.08.09]

Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City's Plan to Use Green Roofs to Clean the Air
Clean air through green roofs, by Staff
Mexico City is one of the world's largest urban centers and has some of the worst air pollution. However, Mexico City is a proponent of green roofs, and is committed to improving the environment for its population. Mexico City is planning to improve not only air pollution, but also green space, with a design by Jorge Hernandez de la Garza. The design is for a
modular building that allows for mixed-use space to include green roofs and urban farms. [6.04.09]
Upcoming Events

Submit your video, article, & project profile to Greenroofs.com!

Do you want to let the world know about your project, product or upcoming event? Are you an expert on a particular greenroof design topic? Submit your content to our Editor and it will be reviewed for publishing on www.greenroofs.com. Just email your information to [email protected].
Featured Sponsor
Green Paks Green Roof Blocks introduces their newest green roof innovation, Green Paks, the easiest and most affordable way to own a green roof. These knitted polyethylene green roof modules are pre-filled with lightweight engineered soil. Simply cover the roof area with Green Paks, insert the plants of your choice, and start enjoying your green roof. Green Paks are fast, easy, and affordable and carry a twenty year limited warranty.

Click here for the full page color brochure in The Greenroof Directory
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Exclusives
Linda S. Velazquez
Linda S. Velazquez
Editor & Publisher

Publisher:
Along with helping with the Atlanta Conference, Linda has been blogging on Sky Gardens quite a bit on a variety of subjects:

Greenroofs.com Announces the 2009 Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof Design! Speaking of our Top Ten Hot List, if you missed Haven Kiers' and Linda's presentation in Atlanta, you can now see the PowerPoint online.

The GRP Accreditation: An Interview with Jeffrey L. Bruce Curious about the Green Roof Professional designation and exam? What does it mean for our industry? Meet Jeff Bruce, the new Chair of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and GRHC Training and Accreditation Committee.

Tour Exclusive Metro Atlanta Greenroofs! Did you miss our awesome tours? No problem, revisit them here and read more about each one in The Greenroof Projects Database.

Golfing for a Cause in the ATL The first annual Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Golf Tournament was held at the Bobby Jones Golf Course and the charitable event benefited the newly formed Green Infrastructure Foundation (GIF).

The Swiss-Canadian Green Roof Gal: An Interview with Christine Th�ring The lovely Christine shares her unique, fun loving spirit with a decidedly ecological bent. See what issues she finds particularly important in today's world.

Kelly Luckett is our next featured interview in Linda`s "Meet the Editor" series, coming soon!

The 7th Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference Held for the first time in the southern U.S., at the Hyatt Regency - Atlanta, the Conference was an incredible opportunity to hear from internationally renowned speakers, indulge in some schmoozing and networking, attend some classes and workshops, and more.

Mother Earth, Every Day Spring celebrates many sacred feminine observances, and the greatest environmental maternal relationship of all has to be with Mother Earth. Linda shares her thoughts about it, culminating with Mother's Day.

Guest Feature Article:
Louis Thompson shares his experiences as a permaculturalist designing a new prototype zero carbon emissions hotel suite for Six Senses Resorts and Spas. Learn about The Eco-villa at Soneva Kiri in Thailand!

Contributing Editors:

Kelly Luckett,
"The Green Roof Guy," is ranting just a bit about wind uplift and fire resistance characteristics of green roof systems in his new Green Roof Wind Uplift Challenges: Paranoia, Turn a Blind Eye, or How About We Work Together?

Ralph Velasquez, the Sustainable Roofing Technologies Editor, wants us to think more holistically and tackles the issue of roofing as it relates to Photovoltaic installations. Read his Integrated Thinking article.
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