Biodiversity - Rooftop Gardens & Urban Beehives of the Future
City Rooftop Gardening: It's a trend worth following in these times of peak oil, urban population growth and pricey produce, but could it also be a silver bullet for many environmental woes due to intensive development?
Businesses, apartment dwellers and local councils are increasingly utilising what is often the only space left, to grow food, keep bees and encourage bio-diversity. Besides these advantages, there are wider environmental implications that are good for urbanites and councils alike: such as temperature control and hydrological benefits.
Roof gardens could be highly useful for their ability to keep cities cool. Heat builds up via the absorption of solar radiation by roads and buildings, which act as massive heat sinks. Conversely, the temperature on a plant’s surface – due to transpiration – remains within 4-5 C° above the ambient.
If rooftop gardens and green roofs reach a critical mass in a particular city, there is great potential to mitigate the ‘urban heat island’ effect, decreasing smog and heat stress and reducing the need for air conditioning. A study by the University of Cardiff suggested that with enough of an increase, the surrounding environment may cool by 3.6-11.3 degrees Celsius (hotter areas experience the greatest difference).
Efforts are also being made to rebuild the bee population, with city councils worldwide keeping hives on the roofs of public buildings, such as the Paris Opera, St Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Auckland Town Hall. Independent organisation Melbourne City Rooftop Honey has hives placed around the city – and cares for its honeybees through natural beekeeping methods.
Still in its design phase, the Philips (yes, they of light bulbs and home electronics) Urban Beehive is a part of the Microbial Home Project. The hive can be mounted on a large window, with the bees accessing the hive via an entry tunnel above a welcoming pollenfilled flowerpot. On the inside, honeycomb structures enable the bees to lay larvae, and store honey and pollen. When it’s time to remove the glass cover and collect some honey, smoke is released into the hive at the pull of a cord to calm the bees.
In New Zealand, organisations such as Urban Pantry are working with city residents and businesses to create edible gardens on rooftops, balconies and other urban niches.
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