Making greener cities is the focus of our new logo. The election of London’s new Mayor Sadiq Khan heralds a new era for London. His commitment to renewable energy needs also to embrace Green Infrastructure. This is especially true for green roofs in the capital.
Making Cities Greener
Making cities greener is about more than just the carbon agenda. The urban realm needs to increase green space at every level. In most cities the only way is up, to the roofs. London, for example, has approximately 10 Million m2 of existing roof space that could be greened. Dusty Gedge, our director, estimates that one third of this available roof space could also include the provision of solar arrays. The potential for London to lead the world in both renewable energy and green roofs is evident and we would hope that the new Mayor embraces this approach – a biosolar roof future for London.
New Era – New Logo
Our new logo builds on what livingroofs.org was set up to achieve:
- The promotion of green roofs to help our cities adapt to climate change
- To promote the delivery of meaningful biodiversity on green roofs
- London to have a distinct green roof and wall policy
Over the last 12 years we have achieved this:
- Helped make Biodiversity integral to planning conditions throughout London, from the Greater London Authority to the Boroughs
- Helped instigate a Green Roof and Wall Technical Report for London
- The London Green Roof and Wall Policy was then instigated in the London Plan in 2008 and updated since
LIvingroofs.org is helping to make London greener, and make cities greener across the world.
Making Greener Cities – A Biosolar Future for London
The new Mayor, with a commitment to increasing the amount of renewable energy installed on roofs, needs also to embrace how this can be done with green roofs. A renewable future for London should embrace a Green Infrastructure future too. This is laid out in ‘A Natural Capital’ published by London’s Green Infrastructure Task Force. This report sets out a vision of how we need to consider Green Infrastructure like all other infrastructure – as an integral part of city planning.
We will be aiming to highlight the benefits of this approach in helping the Mayor to achieve his long-terms goals of renewable energy. However, we also aim to highlight how this approach can help achieve the vision set out in ‘A Natural Capital’.
A new era for London with a new logo – livingroofs.org is helping London to be a standard bearer for greener and healthier cities in the world.