Volume 126, June 2014, Pages 94–106
Highlights
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- Prairie green roofs can conflict with modernist city values.
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- Prairie green roofs less liked but linked to fascination and well-being.
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- Sedum green roofs not as interesting, worse outcomes for well-being.
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- Green Roofs associated with care/attention and environmental restoration.
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- Watching wilder green roofs linked to creative, meditative thinking.
Abstract
Green
roofs are an increasingly popular urban greening strategy in North
American cities. Most green roofs have been sedum-based, but there has
been a recent trend to mimic the native habitat of a region in
prairie-style green roofs. While this supports ecological restoration
goals, it also conflicts with ambiguous responses by urbanites to the
aesthetics of ‘wild’ and ‘messy’ nature in the city. Though green roofs
are transforming downtown central business districts, there has been
little research on office workers’ perceptions of green roofs, or on how
they may influence their health, well-being, and experience of central
business districts. Furthermore, while recent research has looked at
aesthetic perceptions of green roofs, there is scant qualitative work
that explains why urbanites may have these preferences, or cultural and
contextual factors influencing these perceptions. While not
uncontroversial, green roofs make an excellent lens through which to
explore the human relationship to nature in cities due to their lack of
existing symbolism, challenge of the nature/city divide, and mimicking
of native habitat. This paper explores office workers’ perceptions of
green roofs in Toronto and Chicago, two cities known for their
leadership in green roof implementation. Using a phenomenological
analysis of fifty-five semi-structured interviews, this paper examines
(a) office workers’ perceptions of green roofs; (b) how their lived
experience influences their perceptions of aesthetics and urban nature,
and (c) design implications for a more sustainable city. Results show
that while ‘wilder’ prairie-style green roofs are not always well-liked,
they are more likely to be associated with fascination, creative
thinking, and calm well-being than sedum green roofs. Green roofs were
also linked to an ethic of care and restoration, and may provide ‘loose
fit’ places for respite and better health for office workers.
Keywords
- Green roofs;
- Aesthetics;
- Health and well-being;
- Toronto;
- Chicago;
- Phenomenology
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+1 773 803 0164.
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- Current affiliation: University of Denver, USA.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
