EPAL Stavroupoli Green roof

Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (FUA), Greece

City population: 1006112

Duration: 2020 – 2022

Implementation status: Completed

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

Project area: 3087 m²

Type of area: Building

Last updated: October 2024

The city of Thessaloniki is tackling the energy crisis and climate change risks by prioritizing the installation of green roofs and green walls on school and municipal buildings as part of its resilience strategy, Thessaloniki 2030 (Ref 1, 2). One key project under this strategy has been implemented at EPAL Stavroupoli, one of the largest school complexes in the metropolitan area. The school, with a total built area of 11,918 sq.m and roof surfaces covering 6,042 sq.m, now includes a green roof covering 3,087 sq.m with 25,000 ground-cover plants, along with a vertical garden on three walls at the entrance, covering 100 sq.m and featuring 3,098 plants (ibid.). The project is expected to yield multiple environmental benefits, such as reduced energy losses, improved thermal performance, enhanced sound insulation, better rainwater management, decreased runoff, and retention of harmful particles, all of which contribute to upgrading the area's green infrastructure (Ref 1). This initiative also strengthens the green fabric of western Thessaloniki and improves the local microclimate while addressing rainwater management issues (Ref 3, 4).

green wall

https://m.popaganda.gr/citylife/northwind/aftos-ine-o-protos-kathetos-kipos-se-dimosio-ktirio/

Overview

Nature-based solution

Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Green walls or facades

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
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

Climate-Related Hazards
Urban flooding (stormwater)
Land use and Socio-economic change
Unequal availability and access to public green spaces

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of green roofs and walls

Project objectives

To strengthen the axis of the OCHE-BAA Thessaloniki strategy for a green and resilient city (Ref 1). To enhance the green fabric of western Thessaloniki and improve the local microclimate, addressing climate resilience against challenges like wind, hail, heavy rains, and high temperatures (Ref 3, 4). To aesthetically upgrade classrooms and school infrastructure in the Municipality of Pavlos Melas To deliver energy, environmental, and economic benefits by reducing energy losses, improving thermal insulation, and enhancing soundproofing To manage rainwater and reduce runoff To improve the daily quality of life for the student community by providing a recreational space and increasing human comfort (Ref 1).

Implementation activities

A public tender was held, and a contractor was commissioned for the project (Ref 9, 10). The initiative involved creating a planted roof covering a total area of 3,087 sq.m. with 25,000 ground cover plants, along with a vertical garden on three walls at the school entrance, covering 100 sq.m. and featuring 3,098 plants. The intervention on the school complex's roofs included waterproofing, shaping the substrate, and installing plant material along with an automatic irrigation system (Ref 8). Additionally, an integrated support base for photovoltaics was installed, combining the green roof with solar energy systems (Ref 1, 3). The green wall intervention involved setting up a vertical wall system, which included an infrastructure with integrated irrigation and drainage systems, the installation of plant pots, and the planting of vegetation (Ref 8).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

Main beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Marginalized groups: Children, young people or youth groups

Governance

Management set-up

Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

Local government/municipality
Public sector institution

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project was implemented by EPAL Stavroupoli, one of the largest school complexes in Thessaloniki. Deputy Mayor Anastasia Frankopoulou oversaw the architectural planning, project studies, and school roof improvements (Ref 1). The land for the project is owned by the city and forms part of the municipal school infrastructure within the Municipality of Pavlos Melas (Ref 1). A public tender was held to select a contractor, and a qualified company was commissioned to carry out the work (Ref 9, 10). The project was co-funded by the Greek national government and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund - ERDF) (Ref 1, 8).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown

... a national policy or strategy? Unknown

... a local policy or strategy? Yes (- Installing green roofs and green walls on school and municipal buildings is one of the actions emphasised in Thessaloniki 2030, the city's resilience strategy (Ref 1, 2).)

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Support from transitional governance actors, Change agents (individual with major role influence on launching), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Financing

Total cost

€500,000 - €2,000,000

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget
EU funds

Type of funding

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

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution

Provision of land

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Expected lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Reduced noise exposure
Expected reduced noise exposure
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Expected improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Achieved increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Expected increased number of species present

Economic impacts

Reduce financial cost for urban management
Expected reduce financial cost for urban management

Socio-cultural impacts

Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Achieved improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Achieved improved access to urban green space

Type of reported 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

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

Municipality of Pavlos Melas (2022). Ολοκληρώνεται το χρηματοδοτούμενο έργο πράσινου δώματος και κάθετων κήπων στα ΕΠΑΛ Σταυρούπολης των 1.500 μαθητών. Municipality of Pavlos Melas, Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];

Municipality of Thessaloniki (2020). Resilient Thessaloniki: A Strategy for 2030. Municipality of Thessaloniki, Accessed on August 19, 2024, [Source link];

GreenAgenda (2022). ΠΡΆΣΙΝΗ ΤΑΡΆΤΣΑ ΜΕ 25.000 ΦΥΤΆ ΚΑΙ ΚΆΘΕΤΟΣ ΚΉΠΟΣ ΜΕ ΆΛΛΑ 3.100 ΣΤΟ ΕΠΑΛ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΎΠΟΛΗΣ (ΦΩΤΟ). GreenAgenda, Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];

Sarri, S. (2019). Αυτός είναι ο πρώτος κάθετος κήπος σε δημόσιο κτίριο. ΑΠΕ, Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];

Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) (2021). Δημογραφικά χαρακτηριστικά / 2021. Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), Accessed on September 14, 2024, [Source link];

Salary Expert (n.d.). Average Salary in Thessaloniki, Greece. Salary Expert, Accessed on September 14, 2024, [Source link];

Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) (2021). Χαρακτηριστικά κατοικιών - νοικοκυριών / 2021. Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), Accessed on September 14, 2024, [Source link];

Municipality of Pavlos Melas (n.d.). Δημιουργία Πράσινου Δώματος στο Σχολικό Συγκρότημα ΕΠΑΛ Σταυρούπολης του Δήμου Παύλου Μελά. Municipality of Pavlos Melas, Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];

Municipality of Pavlos Melas (2020). Δημοπρατείται το έργο πράσινου δώματος και κάθετου κήπου στα ΕΠΑΛ Σταυρούπολης με χρηματοδότηση 1,5 εκατομμυρίου ευρώ. Municipality of Pavlos Melas, Accessed on September 15, 2024, [Source link];

10.

Municipality of Pavlos Melas (2023). Πρόσκληση υποβολής προσφοράς για την ανάθεση του έργου με τίτλο: «ΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΒΑΣΙΚΗ ΣΥΝΤΗΡΗΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΕΞΑΣΦΑΛΙΣΗ ΟΡΘΗΣ ΕΓΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΑΣΙΝΟΥ ΣΤΟ ΕΠΑΛ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΥΠΟΛΗΣ», Προϋπολογισμού 24.157,50€ (πλέον ΦΠΑ). Municipality of Pavlos Melas, Accessed on September 14, 2024, [Source link];