As summer approaches and the days get longer, rooftops across the iconic New York City skyline will be transformed into lush, green gathering spaces. With space in cities like New York at a premium and business owners looking to maximize every bit of their square footage, there is an increasing demand for landscaping solutions that capitalize on under‑utilized roof spaces.
Rooftop gardens, green roofs, living roofs, vegetated roofs, and other rooftop green spaces are a wonderful way to bring a touch of nature to urban areas. They can also be a game changer for NYC businesses.
The right rooftop garden or green roof can enhance the customer experience, boost brand value, create a pleasant space for your employees and visitors to enjoy, and even positively impact the environment. With the warmest months fast approaching, now is the ideal time to invest in rooftop landscaping services.
The Growth of Rooftop Landscaping in NYC: Environmental & Regulatory Factors
Two important new laws came into effect in New York City in 2019. As part of NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act, Local Laws 92 and 94 require that all new buildings, as well as buildings undertaking major roof renovations, have either solar panels or green roofs. These laws also increase the roof reflectiveness required by the “cool roofs” law.
The city also has a robust set of environmental and sustainability mandates, with ambitious aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions, move towards using more renewable energy, and achieve zero-emission electricity by 2040.
Even if your building is not included under Laws 92 and 94, utilizing your roof to create a green space in the city provides significant environmental benefits. Rooftop landscaping can reduce the urban heat island effect, which is caused by the prevalence of heat-absorbing concrete surfaces and the lack of vegetation. It can also improve air quality, enhance biodiversity in the city, and contribute towards better rain and stormwater management.
Installing a green roof is one of the most sustainable design solutions you can implement, extending your building’s life and making it more energy efficient by providing insulation, which reduces heating and cooling requirements.
The city’s governing bodies are trying to encourage businesses to install commercial green roofs via the NYC Green Roof Tax Abatement. This tax abatement benefit equals $10.00 per square foot of green roof space, capped at either $200,000 or the amount of property taxes due for the building that tax year (whichever is less).
As of 2023, New York City had an estimated 730 green roofs, accounting for less than 0.1% of the city’s million buildings. Figures for 2025 are not yet available, but we expect to see a significant increase in green roof installations this year and over the next few years.
Green Roof Benefits for Businesses: From Brand Differentiation to Customer Loyalty
A green rooftop is much more than just a smart sustainability choice. It can be a tremendous asset to businesses in several ways. A beautiful roof space is somewhere your employees and visitors can relax during their breaks, improving the employee experience and creating a more enjoyable and productive work environment. It can be used as a meeting and coworking space, or for events.
A rooftop garden can even be used for outdoor events.
For hospitality businesses, your rooftop garden can be a space for guests to drink, dine, and socialize in the warm summer months. Businesses have seen noticeable improvements in customer engagement and seasonal foot traffic after introducing rooftop gardens and terraces.
Diverse plantings in rooftop green spaces can enhance the area’s aesthetic appeal, making it more inviting and vibrant. Rooftop green spaces can also boost your image as an environmentally responsible company, improve brand recognition, make your organization more memorable, and attract organic marketing, such as photographs posted on social media.
Summer‑Ready Rooftop Trends & Best Practices for Living Roofs in NYC
If you have not already done so, it’s not too late to start transforming the roof of your commercial space for the summer. But what are the best plants, trees, materials, and other landscaping features for New York City roofs and what’s trending in 2025?
We recommend prioritizing native plants that thrive in the city’s hot summer weather. Native perennials, drought-tolerant plants, and grasses are the ideal choice. Pollinator plants are also a great choice as they attract bees and other beneficial insects, helping to keep the city’s ecosystem healthy. Don’t forget that you will need irrigation systems to keep your plants and flower beds watered. Soil quality also plays a vital role in supporting plant life, sound absorption, and insulation.
Utilize outdoor furniture, shading and shelter, and lighting fixtures to create a multi‑use environment. Features such as planters can be used to divide up the space into zones. As you decide on the layout for your roof, remember to factor in accessibility and traffic flow.
Regardless of the plants and other landscaping elements you choose, your new rooftop space will need to be maintained. Work with your landscapers to create a simple maintenance schedule, including preparing the ground and planting seeds in the spring, weeding and watering as needed in the summer, cleaning up debris and preparing the garden for cold weather in the fall, and planning for the following season in the winter.
If you do not have the time or skills to manage the upkeep of your rooftop garden or green roof yourself, many landscapers will provide a year-round maintenance service.
Partnering with the Right Landscaping Service
It is vital to partner with the right landscaping provider to ensure that your commercial green roof or urban rooftop garden achieves its goals and offers a good return on your investment.
Choose a firm with strong local knowledge of New York City, proven environmental design expertise in NYC, speedy yet quality installations, and a robust ongoing maintenance service.
We have seen a vast increase in requests for rooftop landscaping services in the last year, and we believe this is due to three key drivers: environmental factors such as reducing the urban heat island effect, reducing roof surface temperatures, and enhancing biodiversity; aesthetic and recreational factors such as getting away from the bustle of the city and enjoying nature; and business development and financial factors, such as increasing property value, reducing energy bills, and enhancing the customer experience.
Whatever your reasons for investing in improving your roof, Cambridge’s commercial rooftop landscaping services provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for businesses across New York City. We can help you make the most of your roof and turn this often underutilized area into a feature to be proud of.
Ready to get started or want to learn more? All New York City business owners can get a free, no-obligation rooftop landscaping consultation from Cambridge. Contact us today to start the conversation.