Maddy- Rooftop Green Space

I was flipping through a National Geographic from May this afternoon, learning about Shangri-la and the possibility of cloning extinct species, such as a wooly mammal. Also in the issue was an article and accompanying photo essay about rooftop gardens and green space in large cities. I only knew a little about them- they are environmentally advantageous because they improve air quality and reduce the urban heat island effect, as well as reducing runoff and having a cooling effect on the building. The pictures showed such amazing and intricate types of gardens that I hadn't expected! For example, one hotel had a garden on its roof which provided about $16,000 worth of produce every year for the hotel restaurant. What a great idea! Also, some larger buildings are creating parks on their roofs to provide green space that was gobbled up by the construction of the building. These are havens within large metropolitan areas where people can enjoy the outdoors, greenery, and nature, but they are several stories above the ground! It seems like such a novel idea and something that should be implemented in a much more widespread way than it is currently. Hopefully we are moving in that direction. These rooftop gardens also improve the aestheticism of an urban, dirty metropolitan area, especially for residents or office workers whose views are changed from those of buildings to those of green grass and flowers. This would probably improve morale! It seems like the only structure in SLC that has implemented a rooftop garden is the downtown library- I hope to see the idea catch on more!