Hidden above Basel’s streets, thousands of green roofs are transforming the Swiss city’s skyline, offering a model for urban biodiversity, climate resilience, and policy-driven change.
Ajit Niranjan reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Basel has one of Europe’s highest concentrations of green roofs, a result of decades-old policies mandating their inclusion in new and renovated buildings.
- Unlike many other cities, Basel focuses on native plants, creating biodiverse, meadow-like habitats rather than uniform green spaces.
- Despite their benefits — cooling urban heat, managing stormwater, and supporting wildlife — green roofs must now compete for rooftop space with solar panels, prompting discussions about integrating both.
Key quote:
“Green roofs do a lot of things medium-well … a solar panel, or an air conditioning unit, performs one benefit. What we need is things that offer multiple benefits. And green roofs are one of the few things that do.”
— Dusty Gedge, president of the European Federation of Green Roofs and Walls
Why this matters:
As climate change intensifies urban heat and flooding, Basel’s approach offers a blueprint for cities worldwide. Green roofs can help cool neighborhoods, filter air pollution, and provide natural habitats — all while making cities more livable. The challenge now is scaling these solutions globally while balancing renewable energy and biodiversity needs.
Read more: Finding climate solutions in communities instead of labs
