Green Roofs in High Density Cities: Beyond Ecological Approaches. The Social and Spatial Potential of Green Roofs in Residential Buildings in New York City

In recent decades a global consciousness concerning the way in which natural resources are being used and how human labor and pollution are impacting the planet arose and since then Sustainable Development has been an influential phenomenon in order to mitigate these damages and set guidelines for sustainable solutions. In high density cities like New York City, green roofs have been considered a viable alternative to help save energy, reduce pollution, and alleviate the urban island heat effect. In New York City, according to the Department of City Planning, residential districts account for about 75 percent of the city zoned land area. In Battery Park City, for instance, a planned neighborhood in the south-west of Manhattan, green roofs have become part of a series of sustainable alternatives which have been implemented since May 2005 when it was first required that residential buildings have to fulfill sustainable requirements and be at least Gold LEED certified. Thus, and from different perspectives, green roofs have mediated the manner in which buildings and Battery Park City residents interact with the natural environment. However, more qualitative and quantitative information is needed in order to establish how these roofs could be more than just a physical boundary between the interior and exterior and function as a transitional space rather than just as a replacement for the space that was taken from the ground in all New York City. This study explores architectural characteristics and spatial functions, as well as people's perceptions regarding how green roofs in residential buildings in New York City can be optimized to increase their usefulness while maintaining their ecological benefits. The goal is to help develop guidelines to further evaluate green roofs as a more comprehensive sustainable option for residential buildings in New York by considering the human needs of the space in addition to the environmental.