Green Roofs and Urban Heat

Abstract

Green roofs in urban areas are a potent tool to combat the urban heat island effect, making their development paramount to mitigate the effects of climate change. While Toronto and Chicago are both known for their leadership in implementation of green infrastructure, the cities diverge in their tactics for encouraging green roof development. Although Chicago led North America in green roof development at the start of the 2010s, Toronto outpaced Chicago over the next decade with its 2010 Green Roof Bylaw. Emulating Toronto’s bylaw could restore Chicago as the North American leader in green roof development.

Ethan Jiang

Dreaming of a world without scarcity.

I am interested in the use of data to inform technology policy and climate change mitigation.