The rooftop gardens helping favelas breathe amid summer heat 2 minutes read
Maria Angelica Troncoso
Rio de Janeiro, Feb 25 (efe-epa).- It is summer in Rio de Janeiro and the heat in the narrow alleys of the city’s favelas is suffocating. Cooling these neighborhoods sustainably is the goal of Techo Verde Favela, a project that was born in the heart of these Brazilian shanty towns.
Also known as aerial gardens, green roofs are considered ‘urban lungs’ that can help improve air quality and biodiversity in cities where cement prevails and vegetation is dying out.
Luis Cassiano, founder of Techo Verde Favela, discovered these benefits six years ago, after suffering from stifling summer heat at his home, one of many in the densely populated Parque Arará neighborhood.