Green City, Clean Waters, Philadelphia’s Long Term Control Plan Update, details its innovative strategy for achieving compliance with the Clean Water Act. Philadelphia is not alone among older cities with recurrent unauthorized combined sewer overflows (CSOs) of untreated runoff, sewage, and debris discharged into local rivers, but, Philadelphia is unique in its answer to this complex problem.

 Like all cities facing EPA settlement agreements for violations of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits and the Federal Clean Water Act, Philadelphia must rectify the violations and come into compliance or face exorbitant fines. The plan to rectify the violations and come into compliance is called a Long Term Control Plan Update, which Philly branded as Green City, Clean Waters. The EPA’s clock is ticking; Philadelphia has 25 years to control its CSO’s and reduce its water pollution to legal levels. Recognizing that investing in Green City, Clean Waters is non-optional and urgent, we commend the Water Department’s strategy.

 Traditionally, when faced with such an EPA settlement decree, cities have responded with grey infrastructure: raising taxes across the board and lobbying for a federal earmark to fund a public works project involving ripping up city streets to install larger sewer pipes, building new treatment plants, enlarging existing plants and every city citizen pays. Lots of construction means lots jobs, but the resulting work is more or less hidden from view. Seasonal flooding in parts of the city is mitigated, and when the work is complete, hopefully raw sewage is no longer being discharged into rivers with each big rain storm.

 But this is a new era, and the Philadelphia Water Department surprised even the EPA with its chutzpah. The likelihood of securing a federal earmark for grey infrastructure hovers around 0%, so the Water Department threw a stormwater management Hail Mary pass and committed to the EPA that it will convert Philly into a living Green Machine that processes rainwater without more grey infrastructure. One-third of the pervious cover in the City’s Combined Sewer System will be greened and will filter or store the first one inch of rainwater with each storm. This is green infrastructure: those with impervious surfaces on their property pay. Lots of construction means green jobs (and green jobs training!); the work results in new urban green spaces; mitigation of seasonal flooding in parts of the city, and after a significant percent of the City is greened, sewage ends up where it belongs — in the treatment plants and not into our rivers.

 Celebrating rainwater as a resource, rather than burying it underground in pipes, provides other benefits for Philly residents in addition to stormwater management. Capturing the rain in vegetation, helps to clean the air, mitigate the urban heat island, create habitats and increase quality of life.

 Redesigning a third of the city to mimic the hydrologic characteristics of an undeveloped, untouched landscape is no easy task. Philadelphia has one of the nation’s oldest stormwater infrastructure systems with over 3,000 miles of underground pipe, some of which are the original wooden constructions.  The system serves 135 sq. mi., 64 sq. mi. of which utilize a combined sewer system with outfalls into many Philadelphia watersheds.

 The Green City, Clean Waters program is a collaboration among the PWD and various city departments, including the Streets Department, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Housing Authority, the Redevelopment Authority, the Zoning Commission and Licenses and Inspections. The City has pledged $2.4B in capital construction and maintenance costs over 25 years to meet water quality goals, and $260M in stream restoration and wetland creation.  Even more significant will be the investment of developers in as they build in compliance with the City’s stormwater regulations.  New construction and re-developed sites meeting the stormwater regulation’s earth disturbance threshold are required to manage stormwater on site by limiting the release rate and treating runoff before it discharges into the City’s storm sewer system. 

 The beauty of Green City, Clean Waters is that the cost to city residents depends on the amount of impervious surface on their own property. Why should the Friends Center contribute an amount commensurate with the airport? The Friends Center has invested far more than the airport in progressive measures to manage stormwater and controls the runoff from their impervious surfaces. The program is fundamentally fair and will ultimately incentivize smart urban greening among City officials and City residents. The City has invested in programs to support those commercial owners most financially impacted by Green City, Clean Waters. Low-interest revolving loans, free consulting, and reduced utility fees for voluntary compliance are all available.

 While the new regulations are a giant leap forward for environmental policy, at this stage a poor return on investment on some green infrastructure poses an obstacle to the success of the program. In this economy, businesses are understandably reluctant to voluntarily spend thousands of dollars to comply with the City’s stormwater regulations without more attractive incentives. Additionally, most stormwater management Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommended by the City, with the exception of green roofs, porous pavement, and below-structure infiltration galleries, take up take up space that could otherwise be dedicated to other uses, including parking.  How shall we overcome this barrier? We favor lowering the stormwater regulation’s earth disturbance threshold to trigger required compliance. In most watersheds, including the Delaware River watershed (including Center City), the current threshold is 15,000 sf — too high to trigger compliance in many cases. Now, developers can avoid the stormwater regulations  by rehabbing an existing building without significantly changing the footprint of a property. If the earth disturbance threshold were smaller, more properties would be subject to the City’s stormwater regulation and green infrastructure measures would then make financial sense to bottom line conscious businesses.

 We are excited that the PWD recognizes green roofs as a key element in Green City, Clean Waters. Yes, we are biased about green roofs, but they are beautiful and pervious – compliance silver bullets. Note that commercial, industrial, public and residential developments cover an estimated 77% of the city! Roof runoff constitutes the largest stormwater contribution in the City’s sewer system. What’s the financial case for a green roof? Monthly stormwater fees for every 1,000 sf of impervious area can be reduced from roughly $10 to $2 a sf by converting impervious cover to pervious cover.  Under the City’s stormwater regulations, a 25,000 sf commercial development can save $200 per month or $2,400 per year by managing their stormwater with a green roof. The Department of Revenue also offers a business privilege tax credit worth up to $100,000 to property owners who install a green roof.

Philadelphia - the greenest city in the U.S.? Pie in the sky? Not anymore!

In the heart of downtown Nashville, on November 9 we began construction oversight for the green roof on Music City Center. Designed by Roofmeadow, the project is being installed by Roofmeadow Network Contractor Landscape Support Services, a Muffresboro, TN based company.

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Five stories up, consistsing of 3 distinct sections, the green roof is over 191,000 sf, and includes undulating surfaces (16 – 25% pitch) requiring slope stabilization of the media. Sempergreen will be providing the pre-vegetated mats for the very thin irrigated assembly.

For over two weeks, Roofmeadow and Landscape Support Services have been working diligently to complete first section the roof.      
                                                                                                                                                     

The first three layers are installed despite the weather which has been cold and uncooperative.

Music City Center is expected to become a Nashville landmark and serve as a public space attracting artists, performers, Nashvillians and tourists. The enormous green roof will contribute to the buildings cultural identity and provide a range of environmental benefits including stormwater management, energy savings and habitat creation.

You can view the project construction camera here and Roofmeadow’s Picasa album here.

Charlie Miller

Charlie is working with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Subcommittee on Sustainability Buildings to draft a comprehensive guide to the design and construction of vegetated assemblies. If approved by the committee the guide will serve as a resource to architects and engineers designing rooftop landscapes. Charlie has been working on the guide for 10 years. Within the last five years he has taken on a leadership position within the task group.

Ari Miller

Ari sits on the board of trustees and serves on both the Land and Facilities committee and the Environmental Art committee at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Roxborough, providing expertise and insight relating to site planning and design, stormwater management, land restoration, arboriculture, and environmental art. 

Ari has served as the lead volunteer in a multidisciplinary team of design professionals providing pro-bono design services through the Community Design Collaborative (CDC) to the Friends of Schuylkill River Park.  The team created a complete set of documents that outlines a clear vision for a primary gateway and provides a tool for raising funds to make the vision a reality.

Currently Ari is leading a CDC volunteer team that is working with Mt. Airy USA to create a plan for a new community space at the Lovett Library on Germantown Avenue (2 blocks from Roofmeadow’s office space).  

Jane Winkel

Jane is working with Sophilly, a community group dedicated to improving their neighborhood through positive actions.

 In 2007 Jane was the lead volunteer for a CDC project that will break ground in the fall of 2011. The project for Dickinson Square Park in South Philadelphia, is funded by a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with matching funds contributed by the City of Philadelphia. She co-wrote the grant application for the Friends of Dickinson Square. Jane currently serves as Secretary for the Friends group and she also serves on a park committee that successfully brought a farmers’ market to the Pennsport neighborhood in the spring of 2011.

 Through Sophilly and Dickinson Square she is advancing an anti-litter campaign aimed at children.

 Jane participates in the ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability.

Lauren Mandel

Lauren is assisting the CDC with the design of Philadelphia’s first rooftop farm.  As Roofmeadow’s Rooftop Agriculture Specialist, Lauren is thrilled to help envision the 160,000 sf rooftop of SHARE Food Program’s Philadelphia distribution center. The design includes agricultural production zones, extensive green roof areas, and solar arrays that will be integrated with an extensive green roof system. If built, this rooftop farm could act as a catalyst for productive infrastructure and community activism in North Philadelphia’s Hunting Park.        

Jocie Dye

Jocie has lent her strategic planning, financial and organizing skills to various community organizations and committees. Positions include board leadership for the Sedgwick Theater Company and the Mt. Airy Business Association, resource development and event coordination for Mt. Airy USA, and committee participation with Mt. Airy Community Computer Centers, Mt. Airy Design Committee, Mt. Airy Promotions, and Sustainable Mt. Airy. She currently serves on the Host Committee for Mt. Airy USA’s annual fundraising event.

Melissa Muroff

Since 2007, Melissa has been a member of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC). She participates in the Green Building Standards Task Group and Codes Adoption Task Group of the Advocacy Subcommittee.  These Task Groups focus on promoting state and federal green building legislation, the adoption of the 2012 green building codes, and supporting B Corp legislation. Melissa also participates in open meetings of the Greater Philadelphia Innovation Cluster (GPIC) for Energy Efficient Buildings. Melissa intends to leverage her involvement with both organizations as the DVGBC scales up its participation in GPIC programs and activities. Finally, Melissa has been a member of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) since 2010 and is a founding member of the SBN’s Businesses United for Conservation (BUC), a coalition of businesses providing conservation and pollution mitigation services that collaborates to promote industry growth, business to business procurement opportunities, and industry best practices and technology trends. Most recently the BUC has focused on improving the access to and the delivery of green infrastructure.

Michelle Smith

As Roofmeadow’s horticulturist Michelle volunteers each year at the Horticulture Help Desk at Pennsylvania Flower Show answering questions ranging from orchid culture to plant suggestions for troublesome garden areas. Michelle also enjoys designing residential gardens throughout her Mt. Airy neighborhood in Philadelphia.

We are very pleased to announce that our Bus Shelter Green Roof project will be included in this year’s Leverage: Strengthening Neighborhoods through Design exhibition. The exhibition will feature more than 40 community-based projects initiated in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago and Dallas by design firms, non-profits and public agencies.

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The event will run from October 1 through October 23 and will be on display at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture. The exhibition’s opening party will happen on Wednesday, October 5 and Roofmeadow will be there, for sure!

For more information on the exhibition or the party please contact the Community Design Collaborative.

If you visit the shelter this summer you may catch the fledgling green roof receiving its morning watering , but, make no mistake, this 3.00 inch thick mini-roofscape will be completely self sufficient after this first growing season. The secret to green roof longevity lies in the lightweight and absorptive growing media and a moisture retention layer that will help the plants endure those long hot Philly heat waves.

Much like a scaled down version of Roofmeadow’s 1.2 acre green roof on the PECO building, the bus shelter green roof was constructed using pre-grown mats. The mats are made up of drought tolerant succulents (primarily Sedum species) and allow for an instant cover of vegetation. You may also notice flowering Dianthus (also known as Sweet William or Wild carnation) and Portulaca poking through at two of the four corners where the growing media increases to 6.00 inches.

If you have occasion to frequent this hub of the city be sure to keep an eye on the lifted landscape as it changes from season to season. Many of the Sedum species have brilliant fall color and persist throughout the winter months.

Public funds will not be used to advance the bus shelter greening. With consideration for financial sustainability, the initiative will be funded by the advertising space already present on standard shelters.

Tip: one of the best places to view the roof is from Dilworth plaza. If City Hall is out of your way, have no fear, it is likely that a green bus shelter is coming to your corner.

To see more bus shelter green roof photos, including the launch event with Mayor Nutter, visit our Picasa web album.

A welcome retreat from the mean streets of the city, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum green roof  is an oasis of flora and fauna. It was a delight to hear the sound of birds chirping and grasses and perennials swaying in the wind on this cold, windy, and wet day in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. 

The irrigated Roofmeadow Type III and Type IV green roof assemblies on the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum range in media depth from 8.00 to 18.00 inches and include wetland, meadow, and upland type plantings.  The green roof assemblies allowed for a very diverse plant community including over 100 plant genera when first installed. The plant palette consists of native and adapted species.

As with any other naturalistic planting the more vigorous plant species have established themselves quite well on the roof.  Ten years after installation the plant pallet is still very diverse.

The wetland section of the green roof includes plants such as Eupatorium maculatum, Iris virginica shrevei, and Juncus species.

The meadow section of the green roof includes plants such as Tradescantia ohiensis, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Asclepias species.

The sheltered upland type planting is very diverse and includes shrubs such as Rhus aromatic ‘Grow-low’ and Spiraea alba and is even deep enough to support a Quercus imbricaria tree

The diverse planting offers plenty of nectar throughout the growing season for the bees that live on the roof.  I got a little taste of the honey produced from this roof and it was supper sweet and delicious.

See and hear what it’s like up on this roof in my video!

The Chicago Center for Green Technology green roof is more than 10 years old and one of the oldest Roofmeadow installations to date.  An un-irrigated Roofmeadow Type II with 3.25 inches of media, the green roof is surrounded by solar panels. The LEED certified building is one of the finest examples I’ve seen of green building in the city of Chicago.  The green roof moderates the temperature on the roof and helps the solar panels to function more efficiently.

The roof was originally planted with a mix of sedum cuttings and herbaceous perennial seeds including Achillea, Anthemis, and Salvia species. Planted as an experiment to study which species would survive in a thin green roof system with very little maintenance activity, on an exposed roof, all of the perennial species seed germinated and the cuttings rooted in within the first two years.

Today I surveyed the roof and recognized that biodiversity has significantly decreased since the establishment of the green roof. This didn’t trouble me since I also observed that the roof has 95 percent plant coverage which prevents wind scour and erosion of the green roof media. Green roof media not only supports plant roots by holding onto storm water it also filters runoff that does drain from the roof.

There are two distinct media materials on this roof; a growth media produced from coal ash and a volcanic drainage media.  The Sedum album has preferentially colonized the volcanic media.

At this time of year the Allium schoenoprasum is in full bloom and dominates the roof with its purple ball like flowers.

—Here’s of list of the tough tried and true species on the CCGT green roof.

—Allium schoenoprasum

—Dianthus deltoids

—Sedum acre

—Sedum album

—Sedum reflexum ‘Blue Spruce’

—Sedum sexangulare

—Sedum spurium ‘Fuldaglut’

—Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’

—Sedum spurium ‘Variegatum’

Roofmeadow Network Contractor Greg Raymond of Ecogardens, LLC  was on the roof with me today.

This is what it’s like up on this roof:

Where am I?  It didn’t look or feel like I was in the heart of downtown Chicago when I stepped out onto the Chicago City Hall green roof this morning, but there I was. This roof is full of native and appropriate non-native species including grasses, perennials, and vines. The combined effect evokes the feeling of walking through a wildflower meadow.  

The green roof profile consists of a Roofmeadow Type II with 3.00 inches of media and Type III with 9.00 inches of media.  In order to appropriately maintain the garden, the city employs gardeners whose sole responsibility is to care for the green roof.  Each year new species of plants are added to this garden on an experimental basis such as the native Shooting Star plant. (Dodecatheon meadia)

The Dodecatheon is doing very well on this roof!

This green roof is by no means a “low maintenance” project.  In fact, it’s just the opposite. This is a high maintenance garden and, as any experienced gardener knows, maintenance requirements should always be considered when designing a garden.  Case in point, the roof is predominately planted with herbaceous perennials and grasses, so all of the plant material is cut back each year in late winter and removed from site to allow fresh new growth to emerge in the spring.

In an inner city with searing summer heat, irrigation is required to sustain an intensive planting such as the one on Chicago City Hall.  Some might assume that since native species were incorporated into the planting plan irrigation would not be needed but that’s not so on this green roof. Remember we’re dealing with 3.00 to 9.00 inches of green roof media and most  of the larger native species of grasses have deep root systems and need more soil depth than that to survive.

Vines such as our native Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) are used to screen utilities from view.  Vines require quite a bit of maintenance, especially during the establishment stage.  The Celastrus is a twining vine and often requires gentle persuading to climb a trellis and not onto adjacent plants.

One of the observable benefits of a green is the insect life attracted to the roof by the plants.  Dragonflies on the Wild Blue Indigo (Batisia australis) as well as ants and millipedes were all in view today.  The city of Chicago keeps bees on this green roof and the hives are thriving due to the diversity of plants and the range of bloom times on the roof. I’m told that the honey collected from the hives is pretty great.

Please see Roofmeadow’s Chicago City Hall green roof case study  for more technical information and watch my video to see what it’s like high up on a roofmeadow.

Snowing…in Chicago…in June! No I don’t think so, but it sure looked like it up on the Testa Produce green roof today. When I arrived on site this morning the air was filled with the cotton ball lookalike seedlings of the Cottonwood Tree (Populus deltoids).

The Testa green roof is an engineering masterpiece. The “barrel” section of the roof is stabilized with a cellular confinement system.

The cellular confinement web is in turn supported by the weight of the adjacent flat extensive green roof, without the aid of any fixed anchors to the building structure.   The mass of green roof media supported in this way is over 90 tons. This Roofmeadow Type II  4.00 inch thick green roof profile has a maximum pitch of 43 degrees.  Pre-grown sedum mats were used to establish plant coverage on this section of the green roof and an irrigation system has been incorporated.

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The 30,000 square foot, 3.00 inch thick flat green roof area was established with sedum cuttings and plugs.

This roof was planted in the fall of 2010 and already you can see the sedum cuttings poking through the temporary wind blanket with force!

This green roof is right on track and has appropriate coverage for its age.

The Testa Produce corporate headquarters, located in the old Chicago Union Stockyards, is in every way a “green” building.   Not only is rain water that drains from the green roof recycled  and reused for non-potable uses throughout the building, Testa also has the first free standing wind turbine in the City of Chicago.  You can learn more about Testa’s green building by visiting their website.

A temporary biodegradable wind blanket was incorporated into the design to help prevent wind scour (a possibility due to the exposure of the roofs).  The plants were installed right through the wind blanket.  The temporary wind blanket also helps to retain moisture by acting as mulch by covering bare spots until the plants grow into the spaces.

It’s really difficult to go on any green roof in Washington that doesn’t have a view of some iconic building or another.

Enjoy!