Green Roofs
In the summer a rooftop in Chicago can reach 140 degrees fahrenheit. However, with a rooftop garden, that same surface will never go above 80 degrees.
On a trip to Germany about 15 years ago, Mayor Daley marveled at the genius of their rooftop gardens, which have been commonplace there for 30 years.
Since then, the mayor has introduced substantail subsidies to builders who include a green roof, and has mandated that every building built by the city include a green rooftop. So far there have been hundreds of green rooftops installed in Chicago. Some of the highlights include City Hall and the Apple Store on Michigan Avenue.
