Councilwoman wants to offer Philly residents more green to encourage green roofs

A Philadelphia councilwoman wants to encourage the installation of more green roofs in the city by boosting an incentive program.

Instead of traditional shingle or rubber, a system of plants make up a green roof. The design helps keep buildings cooler and cuts water runoff.

But Councilwoman Blondell Renyolds Brown says those benefits and existing incentives aren’t enough.

“Becasuse the percentage of developers taking advantage of this has been single digit, that’s a signal to me that we need to incentivize developers to go in this direction,” she said.

Her bill would double the tax credit to 50 percent of the cost of the green roof, up to $100,000 per building.

Philadelphia is among 12 cities that offer these incentives.