Diana Martínez González of International Institute of Tropical Forestry writes:

This summer, the International Institute of Tropical Forestry hosted the first USDA E. Kika De La Garza Science Fellow placed in a USDA Forest Service research facility. Dr. Iván Guzmán, a civil engineering professor at the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, New York, is one of 32 faculty and staff members from Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Hispanic-Serving School Districts around the nation that make up the 2024 class of E. Kika De La Garza Fellows.

Making urban areas more sustainable through green roofs

More than half of the world’s populations now resides in cities, where urban heat islands present a significant challenge to the well-being of urban residents. One innovative solution to this problem is the integration of green spaces into urban landscapes, with green roofs emerging as a particularly promising option.

New York City’s Local Law 92 and 94 of 2019, established that all new buildings and alterations of existing buildings, where the entire existing roof is being replaced, must have a “sustainable roofing zone,” meaning that the roof must be covered by a solar photovoltaic electricity generating system, a green roof system or a combination of both. As a result, Guzmán took an interest in green roof design and research. He proposed that City Tech, a university with a big Hispanic and minority student population, install a green roof for research, educational and recreational purposes.

“My aim is to provide my students with the necessary knowledge and training to support the emerging green roof workforce in New York City. They can then become leaders in the industry, while also bringing this technology to their NYC neighborhoods where this technology is needed the most,” expressed Guzmán.

Guzmán was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He completed his undergraduate studies in civil engineering at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez before receiving his doctoral degree in civil/geotechnical engineering from New York University School of Engineering. He decided to visit the institute after learning about IITF Resource Assistant Program intern Iana Grullón Penkova’s master’s thesis, Green roofs in the tropics: design considerations and vegetation dynamics.

During his week in Puerto Rico, Guzmán visited three green roofs:  IITF Headquarters, the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, and the Cuartel de Ballajá (The Ballajá Infantry Barracks Building). At each location, he was able to interact with managers, discussing the benefits and challenges of green roofs in tropical climates.

Read more: Green roofs provide coverage from New York to the Caribbean