Every year since 2001, installation of green rooftops in Seattle has increased. Now, about 62 green rooftops, 359,375 square feet or about the size of nine football fields, are already built.

“Our city has established itself as a national leader in green roofs,” said City Councilmember Mike O’Brien, chair of the Council’s Seattle Public Utilities and Neighborhoods Committee. “The adoption of green roof technology by developers will further solidify Seattle’s position as a national leader in green stormwater infrastructure.”

If you would like to explore the hidden ecosystems of Seattle’s green rooftops, take the self-guided tour.

Building residents from the M Street Apartments on First Hill love their green rooftop, and restaurants, such as the Bastille Café in Ballard, have transformed their green rooftop into a garden, using what they grow for their business.

One benefit of the roofs is that they control the polluted stormwater runoff that enters our local streams, lakes and Puget Sound. Top notch green roofs are estimated to capture more than 90 percent of a downpour and contain it in the soil until the evaporation cycle begins.

To make your roof a green roof and participate in turning Seattle into an eco-friendly environment, visit the Department of Planning and Development website. The entire report detailing the benefits and advantages of green rooftops can also be located here.

To view the full press release from the City of Seattle, click here.