A record 62.6 hectares of living roofs: Rotterdam turns its skyline into a sponge

Rotterdam has counted its green roofs again — and the city has set a record. Vegetated rooftops now cover 62.6 hectares (about 88 football pitches), up from 56.9 hectares in 2025, the municipality announced as National Climate Week opened. The roofs earn their keep quietly: they soak up rainwater before it can flood drains, cool the buildings beneath them in summer heat, and give insects and birds stepping-stones of habitat across a dense port city. The total was measured the unglamorous, trustworthy way — by aerial photography, checked year on year.

SDG 11 · Sustainable cities and communities — Mechanism: infrastructure build