Greening can exert positive impacts on both the environment and people living in the neighbourhood. It is an amenity that offers leisure and visual aesthetic, as well as health and therapeutic values, especially in a high density living environment of Hong Kong. At the same time, plants enhance the ecological value of an area, filter and/or uptake pollutants in the air and stormwater runoff, and help to alleviate urban heat island effect. Due to the lack of space, green roofs and vertical greening are becoming increasingly popular for individual buildings in Hong Kong, particularly in the urban districts. Some studies have indicated that green roofs can reduce the temperature of the building’s top floor by 2°C, thereby lowering the indoor temperature and the electricity consumption. Since the installation of green roofs will impose additional loading on the roof slab and will require proper drainage layer to prevent seepage into the underlying concrete, building owners should consult professional engineers to determine if their existing buildings are suitable for such application.

Additional information: Development Bureau – Greening, Landscape & Tree Management

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