IKEA's biodiverse extensive rooftop garden

Budapest, Hungary

City population: 1728868

Duration: 2014 – ongoing

Implementation status: Ongoing

Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)

Project area: 6500 m²

Type of area: Industrial, Building

Last updated: October 2024

IKEA opened its doors in Budapest in 1990. This was the very first store in Hungary. Twelve years later, the store announced that it would install a green roof. The main purpose of the green roof was to compensate the locals for the loss of green space. The green roof was intended to create a biologically active surface that fits in aesthetically into the suburban landscape and provide a home for animals such as pollinators. The green roof, built in 2002, was covered with a Sedum carpet. In 2014, when the original Sedum vegetation died out, the green roof was completely removed. Then, during the autumn 2014 planting, four types of Sedum shoots were seeded. This was followed in the spring of 2015 by the seeding of herbaceous dicots seed mixes, which contained seeds of roughly 50 plant species. The vegetation is regularly monitored by ecologists: in 2021, more than 160 different taxa were recorded, including spontaneously occurring species. The green roof is closed, not accessible to the public, however tours are occasionally organized for professionals [3] [6] [8] [9] [10] [11].

Late spring on the green roof

Private picture

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)
Green space creation and/or management
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Improving mental health
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental education
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Real estate development

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of green roofs and walls, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Scientific research of biodiversity or ecosystems, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Project objectives

1) Giving back to the locals as much of the park occupied by the department store as possible; 2) Creating more urban green spaces; 3) Increasing the biodiversity; 4) Paying attention to the climate change and empowering adaptation to the climate change risks - e.g. the green roof reduces the stormwater runoff and cools the roof surface thereby reducing the urban heat island effect. [1] [3]

Implementation activities

1) Removal of the previous Sedum green roof; 2) Installation of the different layers: drainage membrane, root barrier, filter fabric, growing medium; 3) seeding the special seed mix of 50 species [6]

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
Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)

Climate change mitigation:

Increase green urban nature for carbon storage (wetlands, tree cover)
Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Implement solutions to help reducing energy consumption or support the use of sustainable energy resources
Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

Protect and enhance urban habitats
Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
Create new habitats
Means for conservation governance
Biodiversity offsets

Biodiversity restoration:

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore ecological connectivity

Main beneficiaries

Private sector/Corporate/Company
Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

Private sector/corporate actor/company

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

IKEA initiated the project and the company Deep Forest was involved. The project was led by Péter Dezsényi horticultural engineer and the owner of Deep Forest. The cooperation started in 2014 with the idea to remove the Sedum carpet and replace it with other perennial plants [2] [6].

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? No

... a national policy or strategy? No

... a local policy or strategy? No

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

Corporate investment

Type of funding

Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

Climate change
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

Other

Socio-cultural impacts

Health and wellbeing
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

References

1. Source link. (2024). Zöldhomlokzatok, zöldtetők, zöldállampolgárok. [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

2. Source link. (2023). A fenntarthatóság már édeskevés, vissza kell vadítani városainkat. [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

3. 365.Source link. (2017). Télen fűt, nyáron hűt, évente egyszer elég gondozni: ez a zöldtető [online] Available at: https://365.Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

4. Source link. (2017). Gazos és trendi. Zöld a város felett [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

5. Source link. (2020). Mennyire meghatározó a zöldtető rétegrend? [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

6. Source link. (2021). Biodiverz zöldtető Budapesten [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

7. Source link. (2017). Merjünk belevágni a zöldtető telepítésbe! [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

8. Source link. (2024). Most nézd meg az IKEA biodiverz zöldtetőjét! [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

9. Source link. (2021). IKEA zöldtető szakmai séta [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

10. Source link. (2018). Újra IKEA zöldtető szakmai séta [online] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

11. IKEA növénylista (2021) – pdf dokumentum. [offline] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

12. IKEA's local sustainability report for the financial year of 2018 (2019) – pdf dokumentum. [offline] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

13. Magyar biodiverz magkeverékek (2023). In: Kertészet és Szőlészet. 12. szám. 2023.03.22. p. 23–25 – pdf dokumentum. [offline] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]

14. Zöldinfrastruktúra útmutató (2024). MultiContact Consulting Kft. AQUA Engine Kft. – pdf dokumentum. [offline] Available at: Source link [Accessed: 24.09.2024]