Last updated: October 2021
On 'De Roma', an old cinema that has been renovated into a theatre, a green roof of 650m2 was created which improves biodiversity and contributes to Antwerp's climate change adaptation (Ref. 1, 4). A bee house was also later installed on the roof (Ref. 2). The green roof is created by volunteers of De Roma and Kopspel, which is an organization that provides learning-working places for student of 'Deeltijds beroepssecundair onderwijs (Part-time Secondary Professional Education) and temporary employment for people that want to turn back to the labour market (Ref. 1).
https://www.hln.be/in-de-buurt/borgerhout/ook-de-roma-heeft-nu-een-bijenkast-op-het-dak-staan~a7d61700/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
The main goals of the green roof were improving biodiversity and contributing to climate change adaptation (Ref. 1,4) by means of reducing temperature and improving air quality (Ref. 4).
Implementation activities
Creating a green roof of 650m2 consisting of different types of moss, succulent plants and herbs (Ref. 1). This involved the placement of 11 tonnes of gravel, 20.000 liters of substrate and 30kg of sedum (Ref. 1). Also a bee house was placed with 2000 bees made out of reused construction materials (Ref. 1,2).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Other
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is initiated by the coordinator of De Roma theatre, Paul Schyvens (Ref. 1). De Roma is a theatre that is run by a board, employees and more than 400 volunteers and has been renovated over the last years (Ref. 1, 5). The green roof is created by volunteers of De Roma and Kopspel, which is an organization that provides learning-working places for student of 'Deeltijds beroepssecundair onderwijs (Part-time Secondary Professional Education) and temporary employment for people that want to turn back to the labour market (this organization is specified as civil society organization) (Ref. 1). Beekeeper and volunteer of the theatre Koen Monté has placed the bee house on the roof, which was created by 'Atelier Recup' (two artists that use reused construction materials to create art and goods). Koen Monté does the maintenance of the bee house (Ref. 1). The project received a subsidy by the Province of Antwerp for the realization of the green roof (Ref. 1, 4).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€10,000 - €50,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Enhanced support of pollination
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. De Groene Stad (2016). Cultuurtempel De Roma in Antwerpen gaat 650m2 aan plat dak vergroeien [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
2. Het Laatste Nieuws (2017). Ook De Roma heeft nu een bijenkast op het dak staan. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
3. Unknown (2016). Een groen dak voor De Roma. [video] Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
4. Provincie Antwerpen (2016). Budget 2016. Machtigingskrediet 0390/64900000. Antwerp: Province of Antwerp. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
5. De Roma (n.d.) Wie is wie? [online] Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
2. Het Laatste Nieuws (2017). Ook De Roma heeft nu een bijenkast op het dak staan. [online] Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
3. Unknown (2016). Een groen dak voor De Roma. [video] Available at: Source link (Accessed: October 5, 2020).
4. Provincie Antwerpen (2016). Budget 2016. Machtigingskrediet 0390/64900000. Antwerp: Province of Antwerp. [pdf] Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
5. De Roma (n.d.) Wie is wie? [online] Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).