With an estimated 70% of the world's population destined to live in urban areas by 2050 many, such as London, are facing acute housing shortage and are experiencing unnecessary urban sprawl into green belt areas. Rooftop space developments have an untapped ability to not only cope with the increase in housing demand, but to promote sustainable city living and reduce demands on other crucial infrastructure services.
Access to reliable and fast internet connection has now become the standard. The UK’s investment in the 5G network will catapult our cities into the next generation of the internet age and has been estimated to generate an additional £10bn per annum in new business for the economy. Due to the technical complexities of the 5G, more antennae are needed for the roll out of this technology. Whilst 5G is on the tip of everyone’s tongue Local Area Network providers are also rolling out their equipment making our urban environments even more connected and rooftops ideally positioned for installation of both 5G, LAN and various IoT equipment and devices.
Utilising airspace above our cities and freeing ourselves from the limitations of ground transport is the next logical step in addressing traffic congestion. Planning for the transportation infrastructure of the future by adapting existing rooftops and designing new buildings suitable for such technology is crucial. We know how to go about it.
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Apart from the creation of small businesses, rooftop urban farms have many interrelated community and societal benefits. Locally sourced produce reduces the need for excessive preparation, packaging, storage, shipping - reducing infrastructure demands as well as other financial implications. The potential for greater biodiversity and food security promotes not only produce variety in our urban environments, the green spaces created have been linked to individual and community well-being. The indirect impacts of urban farms are also significant with the attenuation of rainwater attenuation, through the reduction of hard surfaces, contributing to our urban flood resilience. For property owners the benefits do not stop here, rooftop urban farms reduce building energy environmental impacts through insulation properties, carbon offsetting through reduced CO2 generation and reduction of urban heat island effects.
The increase in Electric Vehicles, Drones and IoT devices as well as other electrical dependant equipment will see even greater demand for decentralised energy. Though in the UK subsidies are reduced, the demand for solar still exists with new financing and long term investment models replacing what was lost in subsidies. At Skyscape we support the UK government's goal of reducing CO2 by 57% by 2030 through (beside others) generating 25% of the UK’s energy from solar alone is looking more and more achievable as the UK economy embraces decentralised energy systems. Urban rooftops provide an ideal platform for expansion of such decentralised systems. We should not waste our precious and scarce land on static infrastructure which can be locally placed on top of our built environment infrastructure.
At Skyscape we promote the creation of green spaces and proactive air cleaning schemes being installed along the cities' most polluted routes. Our algorithms identify most efficient rooftop locations for air cleansing technology to be placed. Converting rooftops into environment-friendly areas can greatly reduce our impact on the environment and potentially save thousands of peoples lives every year.
WeWork is an example of a roofing company that is disrupting the commercial office and retail markets respectively, landlords are looking for new ways to entice and retain the best tenants for the greatest return on investment. On the other hand tenants are searching for new ways to attract and retain the best employees whilst improving their productivity. Both of these property market players rely on the desirability of the city to attract the best homegrown and international talent. In the employment market cities, employers and landlords are all contributing to the desirability index and need to work together to attract the common denominator - the employees. At Skyscape, we are unleashing the potential of rooftops as our war chest contribution. We believe rooftops should be utilised for the benefit of everyone and not just Mary Poppins and Bert!
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