Volume: 4, 2025
4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.E022
Published online: 9 April 2025
ICDSUPL, 4, E022 (2025)
Green roofs as an example of an urban NBS
Julia Wójcik-Madej1*, Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz1
1 Department of Hydrobiology and Ecosystems Protections, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Dobrzańskiego 37, 20-262 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: julia.madej@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
Green roofs have been developed to promote the development of vegetation on the roofs of buildings, bringing numerous social, economic and environmental benefits simultaneously. Green roofs are a flagship example of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), which can be categorised as Type 3 of NBS: Creation of new ecosystems, sub-type: Ecological built environment. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2020 classification, such solutions address the global challenges of socio-economic development, human health and ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss. This research aims to identify the most favorable and alternative locations for lightweight green roofs. The research was based on an analysis of five criteria: legal, technical, environmental, economic and social. The methodology was a process whereby sites that did not meet a given criterion at a given stage were excluded from further analysis. A distinction was made between hard criteria: legal and environmental, which had to be met, and soft ones including economic, social and technical criteria, the fulfillment of which determined the higher efficiency of NBS. It was also assumed that the selected buildings would have to be owned by the Lublin Municipality in order to facilitate implementation. The above analysis resulted in 19 most favorable locations and 45761 alternative locations for lightweight green roofs. The buildings are located in Głęboka, Lipowa, Krakowskie Przedmieście, Weteranów Ludwika Hirszfelda, Montażowa, Odlewnicza, Gospodarcza, Łąbędzia and Hutnicza streets. The largest number of buildings to be equipped with a green roof with a light structure is located in Hutnicza Street – 7 buildings. The most important criteria are economic (ownership of the buildings) and social (accessibility of the buildings). On the other hand, the least important criterion was the environmental criterion (exposure of the roofs).
Keywords: green roof, nature-based solutions, urban areas, Lublin
How to cite
J. Wójcik-Madej, B. Sowińska-Świerkosz, 2025. Green roofs as an example of an urban NBS. In: 4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.E022