Make Your First Home in the City Sustainable

If you’re interested in living sustainably, you might imagine yourself on a farm in the country. But did you know you can live just as sustainably in the city?

When we take a look into the future with the rise of innovative technology and new construction techniques, there is hope that urban housing will become more sustainable, making cities the most sustainable living areas in the world because: 

• Dense cities mean less driving and that minimizes greenhouse gasses.
• Living spaces are usually smaller which will require fewer resources.
• The energy needed for heating and cooling would be less. 

So, what can you do to make your city home more sustainable?

• Upgrade your insulation and install better heating and cooling systems (or talk to your landlord about it). This would help in energy saving and lower carbon dioxide emissions. 
• Interested in a fixer-upper? Find one in the city. You may even be able to get a grant or tax cut if you’re able to preserve the historic architecture, plus you’ll be preserving what makes your city unique.
• If your building allows it, install solar panels. It’s an excellent way to keep the air clean, avoiding pollution that often hangs over skyscrapers. 
• Plant a rooftop (or a patio) garden. More vegetation in urban areas will help mitigate stormwater runoff and excessive heat. Another way to go is to paint or tile your roof white, which reflect sun rays and in return keep the buildings cooler.

Sustainable housing, road management, sustainable energy for the whole city, zero waste programs are all relevant for us to create an urbanists dream city. By starting small in our living area, we are one step closer to making this a reality.

Interested to see how much an eco-friendly home like this might cost you, construction wise? Check out our helpful primer on that subject to get acquainted with price ranges today.

The article is written by an editor and a writer for a roofing construction blog.