They serve as a showcase for the policy of the City, but they are also a pilot project that can be expanded. The bus shelters on Woodrow Wilsonplein have been given a green roof, as a sign for the support of the City for more green roofs. It is also a pilot project to investigate whether even more bus shelters can be greened. Green roofs bring more biodiversity, retain water longer and provide cooling on hot days.
The Woodrow Wilsonplein is the ideal location to highlight the ambitions of the City of Ghent for more green roofs. It is a busy stop, and the square is a petrified place, with few opportunities for trees and other greenery. This ensures that the heat is noticeable on hot days. Now a contractor has built green roofs with succulents and herbs on four bus shelters.
"By placing a green roof on the bus shelters on one of the busiest squares in Ghent, we want to put the city's support for more green roofs in the spotlight. We already had the largest green roof in Flanders, now also the smallest. Everything together, big and small, already good for 12 hectares of green roofs in Ghent, or about 18 football fields. "
Subsidies for Gentenaars
Under the motto 'Ghent is going out of its green roof', stickers on the bus shelters provide a word of explanation. Residents, schools, social housing companies, associations and companies can apply for a subsidy for the construction of a green roof or for a stability study of their roof. Ghent residents can get back up to 45 euros per square meter for their green roof, and up to 250 euros per roof for the stability study.
Up to 8 degrees warmer in the city
Green roofs store water, filter fine dust from the air and provide cooling on hot days. They also attract bees and insects and promote biodiversity. Due to global warming, it is also up to 8 degrees warmer in a city like Ghent on hot days than in the countryside. The many buildings, tiles and asphalt absorb the heat and release it slowly. The heat lingers longer at night, causing poorer air quality and health problems. By planting more greenery and softening it where possible, the city council ensures a cooler city that can better absorb the peaks and troughs in rain and heat.
Source: City gent
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