CHICAGO — Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities: The First North American Green Roof Infrastructure Conference, Awards, and Trade Show will be held May 29-30, 2003, at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago. Organized by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the event is being co-hosted by the City of Chicago.

A green roof involves the planting of vegetation on the flat rooftop of a building to improve energy efficiency and reduce urban heat island effect. This event has been designed to provide:

Training on green roof design and implementation techniques including waterproofing, structural loading, plant selection, economic analysis, and design;

Sources of technical, program, and policy support for green roof project implementation; and

The latest green roof research findings in areas such as energy efficiency, plant survivability, urban agriculture, stormwater retention, and integrated design.

The objectives of the conference include raising awareness of the benefits of green roofs in the public and private sector, and soliciting further support in developing the marketplace.

For more information, visit www.greenroofs.ca/grhcc/conference.htm.

Publication date: 05/12/2003