Identification and mapping of areas and buildings with high roof greening potential

Climate change impacts are threatening the sustainability and livability of cities, which are asked to respond from an integral perspective that combines mitigation and adaptation through an evidence-based decision making. Naturebased solutions have been recognized as key in addressing environmental, social and economic challenges and their benefits and effectiveness have been demonstrated in several studies. Specifically, green roofs have shown potential in urban areas, where space for new green infrastructure is often limited. The methodology described in this paper aims at providing results supporting decision-makers in sustainable development by estimating the potential for green coverage at rooftop level identifying the most suitable locations. By the development of a Digital Surface Model based on LiDAR data and the combination parameters related to land surface temperature, imperviousness, normalized difference vegetation index and cadaster information, the method proposed generates two main results: the maximum green roof potential and the prioritization of green roofs. The application of the method to the city of Donosti-San Sebastian is presented.