09:37:34 | 2012-04-16
(New York City) — Have you ever considered how much open space, or actually real estate, is forgotten on the apartment building rooftops throughout New York City? It just may be the only space in the city that hasn’t been planned for. With a shortage of open space and a myriad of other problems in New York City, what should the city do with that space that would be in the best interest of the city and its residents?
Though there are some buildings in the city that have already made use of their rooftop space by installing pools for their residents, with so many people interested in going green, a pool is considered more of a luxury than a use of space that will benefit the city itself. Besides that, rooftop pools also require expensive maintenance and therefore pass fees on to residents, not all who can or want to pay them. In the best interest of the city and each individual building’s residents, consider sustainable gardens for apartment building rooftops.
Though it will take some careful and considerate planning to set up these sustainable gardens, the benefits are numerous. Something to consider when beginning is gardening with soil with no pesticides and all natural fertilizers. Another consideration is irrigating the garden. Because getting water pumped in from outside would require using outside energy, adding to the drain on energy and air pollution, the ideal solution would be to study the rain cycle of the city. One way to do this would be to take measurements of the rain fall itself. Many green gardeners across the country have been utilizing rain barrels in order to conserve water and recycle. Rain barrels are economical and use no additional energy. Deciding on what to grow can be a fun and educational experience in itself. Using ‘waste’ seeds, seeds from consumed fruits and vegetables, is a cost effective way to experiment with what might thrive in these rooftop gardens.
[slider id="greeen-apartments"] |
Though initially there is some work involved in getting these rooftop gardens going, keep mind as said earlier that there are numerous benefits to the city and the individual building’s residents. Overall, plants are always beneficial to the environment as they help to reduce air pollution. Perhaps this in itself explains why country living is always associated with ‘fresh air’ and city life with the ‘smog and grime’. At a time when people everywhere are concerned about global warming, these rooftop gardens help reduce the ambient temperature, a great help as agencies across the country seek solutions to the problem. Lastly, these rooftop gardens could very well be used to supply agencies who work to feed those in need with vital vegetables and fruits. With so many benefits, using apartment building rooftops for sustainable gardening could become a solution to help people beyond these buildings.
—Email rlorenzen@brokerpulse.com
