About 1,000 delegates from around the world have been attending the green roof conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. From November 30 to December 3, at the 8th annual CitiesAlive green roof and green wall technology conference at Vancouver Convention Center. Jointly organized by Science World and B.C. Institute of Technology.
One of the reasons Vancouver was selected for the conference location is they are seen as the world leader in green roofs. The convention center has the largest green roof in Canada at 2.5 hectare. (25,000 sq m). Green roofs have long been used to cut energy costs, they are also a way to recycle rain water and decrease the burden of city sewage systems, and reduce the heat island effect by reducing the temperature of the roof and the surrounding area.
The three day conference has included workshops, seminars, trade shows and tour of Vancouver’s green roofs. Keynote speakers include David Tilley green roof researchers from University of Maryland and Paul Kephard, a green roof designer who founded the consulting company Rena Creek. Also in attendance is building designers, urban planners, landscape architects and environmentalists all to share information on green technology.
“We will explore the limits of integrated thinking with a focus on moving the industry to a new level of understanding of the many roles we can play to reduce green house gas emissions and adapt our cities to the negative impacts of climate change,” say conference organizers, Jeffrey Bruce and Steven Peck, of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
