In an annual State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report published yesterday, researchers say carbon removal needs to quadruple to meet climate goals:

“Governments need to plant more trees and deploy technologies that will quadruple the amount of carbon dioxide removed each year from the atmosphere in order to meet global climate goals.” ~ Reuters

Greenroofs, anyone?

So, What is World Green Roof Day #WGRD2024?

Inaugurated in 2020, World Green Roof Day is June 6, “A celebration of green roofs all over the world and the many benefits they bring to people and nature.”

“Towns and cities globally are going green to adapt to climate change. Green roofs also provide vital wildlife habitat and make life better for everyone.” ~ World Green Roof Day

This year’s theme is Energy on Roofs – light, wind, heat, water, physical, mechanical, sound, gravitational, and electrical. Promoters want to see what you’ve got, so share your living roof images, videos and comments using #WGRD2024!

World Green Roof Day #WGRD was created in 2020 by Chris Bridgman and Dusty Gedge in part to push the establishment of the new GRO (Green Roof Organisation) in the UK but in the main to celebrate greenroofs around the planet.

From their website, you can learn more plus Build a Lego Green Roof Bus Stop and download the World Green Roof Day Colouring Sheet among other cool activities.

For its inauguration, we were asked to create a couple of videos. If you haven’t seen them, here you go. Don’t miss Aramis passionately doing his piece in Spanish with “WGRD 2020 – Día Mundial del Techo Verde 2020“:

And here’s mine, “World Green Roof Day 2020 – June 6th”, both filmed at Rock Mill Park in Alpharetta, Georgia:

OK, So, What Are “Random” Greenroofs???

Surprise encounters! Random meaning that you just happened to run into it, you didn’t know it was there! Take it from us at Greenroofs.com – Aramis and I have come across many in our world travels.

For today, tag them with #WGRD2024 to help spread the word about our favorite typology of living green architecture AND #RandomGreenroofs from now on…help us identify these randomly seeming living roofs. You know they’re not really random – someone actually planned, designed, built, and maintains them.

Here are a few recent #RandomGreenroofs from March 2024 and March 2023 – can you help identify or tell us more about them?

Medellín, Colombia

Last March we visited friends outside of Medellín and they took us on a tour to see some of the city’s “green corridors,” areas of major greenery:

Medellin Images: Linda S. Velazquez

Seville, Spain

We know what this is, just have no details: We came across the massive Torre Sevilla Centro Commercial (a high end shopping mall) with two large greenroofs while on a City Bus Tour in Seville in March 2023. We took photos from the 37th floor of the adjacent the Torre Sevilla (Seville Tower), and know it was designed by Cesar Pelli:

Torre Sevilla Centro Comercial, Seville, Spain in March 2023. Image: Linda S. Velazquez

Image: Aramis M. Velazquez

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Here are a couple #RandomGreenroofs on the beautiful canals of Amsterdam from June 2023. They appear to be private residences, so probably not identifiable, but interesting nonetheless:

Amsterdam. Images: Linda S. Velazquez

Sedum covers adds a splash of color.

As we wandered around Amsterdam’s eastern docklands we came upon the striking, copper green NEMO Science Museum, seen in profile in the above photo. Designed by Renzo Piano, his aim was to create a real piazza on the roof, along with locating a greenroof behind the seating while also adding planters of vegetation. Here’s a photo I took from a distance:

NEMO Maritim Museum. Image: Linda S. Velazquez

As seen on the NEMO Science Museum website, this is how the vegetation looks close up:

Image: NEMO

“Spontaneous” Greenroofs

Unless you find a “spontaneous” greenroof, which is usually a happy occurrence – you know, when vegetation naturally embeds itself on a rooftop where even a tiny bit of soil is present (most common in the form of succulents, but tree seedlings have been known to take root, too!). Just because something isn’t planned doesn’t mean it’s not awesome just the way it is, right?

In Norway, this is an example of how a little maintenance can go a long way! Image: Amusing Planet

If you happen upon one of these gems, tag it with both #SpontaneousGreenroofs and #RandomGreenroofs along with others.

What’s the Point?

World Green Roof Day is all about showcasing different types of greenroofs, celebrating their diversity, and demonstrating their beneficial presence to the public at large.

Also, “Random” Greenroofs are relative – they’re only random if you aren’t aware of them! But a lot of people DO know about them and we want the various stakeholders – owners, designers, government folks, etc., to identify them and hopefully provide enough info to start a Project Profile in the Greenroofs.com Projects Database.

Greenroofs.com Projects Database

Click to explore!

Our Projects Database is a free online resource open to everyone to search, learn, and submit and update projects.

So take some great photos and start posting on social media and we’ll start collecting the info to share with all of you.

From World Green Roof Day to Everyday with Living Green Architecture

Share your favorite, amusing, random, or spontaneous greenroofs on social media today for World Green Roof Day with @WGRD2024, @greenroofs, @greenroofsuk, @roofgro, @livingrooftops, #WGRD2024, #greenroofs, #RandomGreenroofs, #SpontaneousGreenroofs, #worldgreenroofday, plus many more.

Let’s continue sharing all projects, including random ones, so we can add them to the Greenroofs.com Projects Database!

The need to rapidly reduce emissions from fossil fuels and halt deforestation is imperative, and as we continue to build living roofs and walls en masse, we can contribute to capture carbon and cool down a warming planet!

Love the Earth, Plant a Roof (or Wall)!

By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA, LEED AP, GRP
Greenroofs.com Publisher