WHEREAS, in certain areas of the State, the amount of usable agricultural zoned lands is vanishing due to increased urban sprawl; and

WHEREAS, examples of rooftop landscaping already exist in Honolulu, including the Hawaii State Capitol Building and the Kalanimoku Building, where the roof over a large area of the parking garage is covered with fields of open grass, flowers, and shrubs; and

WHEREAS, scientific testing in several countries has shown that rooftop landscaping helps to reduce the amount of pollutants and dust particles in the air and water; and

WHEREAS, vegetation on city rooftops helps to reduce what is known as the heat island effect by blocking the sun's rays and conserving energy by keeping buildings cooler, thereby reducing the necessity of cooling systems and providing sound insulation; and

WHEREAS, the definition of "urban heat island" is a metropolitan area that is considerably warmer than the surrounding areas, due in part to the lack of vegetation and standing water and the thermal properties of building materials, such as concrete and asphalt; and

WHEREAS, because flora acts as a natural heat absorber and insulator, roof top landscaping can help to reduce electricity consumption; and

WHEREAS, in a study conducted by the Los Angeles-based Heat Island Group, it was found that rooftop cooling efforts could lead to an annual energy savings of $16,000,000; and

WHEREAS, the economy of the State of Hawaii is largely dependent on the visitor industry, the main attraction being the natural beauty of our island state, which should be evident in urban areas, as well as forests, parks, and conservation areas; and

WHEREAS, extensive positive examples of rooftop landscaping and agriculture can be found throughout Germany, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and China and experimental projects are underway in Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; and New York City, New York; and

WHEREAS, the Changi Hospital in Singapore converted a bare concrete roof that diverted sunlight into nearby wards, causing unwanted glare and heating, into a highly productive hydroponic farm of cherry tomatoes and herbs used to provide fresh healthy meals to patients; and

WHEREAS, a survey done by Ngee Ann Polytechnic students found that approximately five hundred twenty-three acres of apartment and commercial rooftops in four suburbs of Singapore use hydroponics to grow fresh vegetables and thus noted that, managed properly, five hundred twenty-three acres could produce up to thirty-nine thousand tons of vegetables a year at a value of around $24,500,000; and

WHEREAS, the current law in Germany gives owners of newly constructed buildings the following three options regarding rooftop landscaping of which the first is the most economical:

(2) Carry out green landscaping in a different location

(3) Pay a fine; and

WHEREAS, the current law in Tokyo mandates that any newly constructed building with a ground area exceeding one thousand square meters must use at least twenty per cent of the area for green rooftop landscaping; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa is requested to study the feasibility of mandated or incentive based voluntary rooftop landscaping and agriculture in urban districts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that while the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources is taking the lead, this study should be a collaborative effort between the Department of Agriculture, the planning departments of the four counties, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii, the American Planning Association, Hawaii Chapter, the Urban Land Institute, and the University of Hawaii School of Architecture; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources is requested to study buildings in urban districts in subcategories, such as commercial, hotel, multi-family, industrial, or mixed use with a commercial component, so that the findings can be used to gauge the feasibility of rooftop landscaping and agriculture in each specific area; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources is requested to submit its report to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture, the Dean of the University of Hawaii School of Architecture, the head of the planning office of each county, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii, the American Planning Association, Hawaii Chapter, and the Urban Land Institute.

Report Title:

College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Roof Top Gardening