Roof Gardens in Monaco

Monaco is a small place, sanwiched in between mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. We arrived by sea and left by air. In order to get the the Nice airport, we had to go through several tunnels. There isn't much room to build, so most of the buildings seem to be highrises. What struck me was the number of roof gardens.

Chicago's Mayor Daley wants encourage roof gardens in Chicago for a number of reasons. One is that they cool the roofs which cuts down the need for air conditioning. Another is that they just look nice. In Chicago, most of the roof gardens are not visible, unless you are in a building higher than the one with the garden. City Hall in Chicago has an extensive roof garden.

Monaco, since the city is build into a mountainside, is tiered, so that many of the roof gardens are visible. The Westin Hotel has one, complete with swimming pool. Many of the gardens are quite elaborate, with trees, terraces and flowers. They soften the cityscape, and give it a more human scale. The area has a park-like feeling, even though it is quite built up.

I think that Mayor Daley is right. Chicago building owners should add roof gardens. It reinforces the city's motto, "a city in a garden."