Property owners around Portland are transforming rooftops into green spaces with economic, environmental, and social benefits. A new Environmental Services video titled Green Roofs: The Nature of Portland’s Rooftops, showcases the beauty of green roofs and the many benefits they provide to building owners, residents and local communities.

Thom Ross' Building and Ecoroof, SE Portland

Green roofs are important parts of Portland’s stormwater management infrastructure because they absorb rain to reduce stormwater runoff volume. For new construction, green roofs help buildings meet stormwater management requirements. They also can have a positive impact on the property owner’s bottom line. Green roofs double, and sometimes triple, the life of the roof’s waterproof membrane. They are an amenity for building tenants and residents, and they improve the view for tenants of neighboring buildings.

Commercial properties with green roofs are more desirable and competitive in a tight real estate and rental market. And green roofs can increase leasable or saleable space on new construction through Portland’s Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonuses.

There are more than 550 green roofs in Portlandthat cover more than 1.5 million square feet of rooftop and manage more than 34 million gallons of rainfall annually. The new green roof video features Thom Ross discussing a green roof retrofit of a commercial space, Agustin Enriquez discussing the green roof on The Janey Apartments, and Elizabeth Hart discussing the benefits of green roofs to hospitals and their patients.

Want to learn more about green roofs? Visit the Portland Ecoroof Program web page or get involved with Portland-based Green Roof Information Think-tank.