International Keynote at Portland Ecoroof Symposium
Posted on October 12, 2016 by Janice Thompson
Tags, Energy, Water/Wastewater, Conference & Events
The 2016 Ecoroof Symposium, held at Portland State University on October 2-3, brought an international flare along with research and policy discussions featuring many Oregonians.
The keynote speaker was Dusty Gedge, founder of livingroofs.org and head of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations. Hailing from London, many of Dusty’s stories and slides featured greenroofs in that city, but he presented a multitude of information about other locales with ecoroofs, notably Chicago and Germany.
The international focus continued with a virtual tour by Lydia Velazquez of the top 10 sites in the world featuring ecoroofs, green walls, and numerous combinations of vegetation and renewable energy features integrated into some pretty amazing buildings. Lydia runs the website, greenroofs.com, which includes a global database of greenroofs and greenwalls and a wealth of other information.
Representatives from Portland State University, Cadmus Energy Services Division, and Bureau of Environmental Services reviewed studies on ecoroof ecology, energy implications of ecoroofs, and ecoroof design criteria related to stormwater management.
Regulatory and policy trends were discussed by a Seattle based landscape architect and planners from the City of San Francisco and Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. Of particular interest was the discussion about including ecoroof requirements in the update to Portland’s planning document for the greater downtown area, Central City 2035, which will go before the City Council in 2017.
Ecoroofs are valued across the world because of their multiple benefits ranging from reducing stormwater runoff, reducing energy costs, mitigating “heat island” effects, and increasing habitat diversity. Portland has been a key player in ecoroof installations and this symposium is an indication that significant interest continues in our city and beyond about the benefits of greenery on walls and roofs.
For info on greenroof development in the Pacific Northwest, check out Green Roof info Think-Tank or GriT (one of the symposium sponsors).
The Bureau of Environmental Services also has lots of great information on greenroof applications and resources in Portland.
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12/27/16 | 0 Comments | International Keynote at Portland Ecoroof Symposium