Rooftop Kitchen Garden to Cool Smart City and Boost Happiness

Urban agriculture gains relevance as it not only provides direct benefit in food security but also has other embedded environmental benefits. A study investigated Rooftop Kitchen Garden (RTG) as one urban agriculture initiative to assess and quantify the benefit of the urban agriculture at household level in South Delhi, India.

Respondents report that RTG boosts their happiness as it keeps them busy and entertained. Lady Finger, Beans, Tomatoes, Brinjal were the most common vegetables grown as they give a good yield in terms of quantity and continuously for longer duration. Many of the residents of South Delhi also grow sacred plants that give added spiritual benefits for the family. Respondents also note that RTG helps regulate indoor temperature in the house. In addition, the surrounding air on the ground is much fresher. Compared to dark coloured concrete rooftop, RTG has higher albedo and dissipates the heat through the vegetation evapotranspiration process and also provides shade. 

The result of this survey aligns with the Tokyo government’s study that indicates rooftop gardens contribute significantly to the reduction of urban heat island effect and climate change adaptation. The reduction of surface temperature in the local area of the rooftop garden reduces energy bills and saves a million dollars every day in air conditioning energy use.

Reference:

Gupta, G., & Mehta, P. (2017). Roof top farming a solution to food security and climate change adaptation for cities. Climate Change Research at Universities: Addressing the Mitigation and Adaptation Challenges, 19-35.

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