Students at the University of British Columbia are hoping to build bus shelters with environmental benefits.
Tabinda Shah, a final-year urban forestry student, said she and several other students are working to build a ?tree canopy bus shelter,? which would not only shelter people from the rain as they wait for their ride, but also help the environment.
UBC students are investigating the viability of wooded canopies as bus shelters.
?The aim of the project is to bring ecologically conscious infrastructure into dense urban areas by maximizing opportunities for green infrastructure in small spaces,? she said in an email.
The roof or shelter would be made of treated wood that can withstand the elements and host a layer of plants that are hardy and succulent, and can thrive in not just the rain but the dry months too. The excess water from the roof would run off into the ground to recharge the water table. The students are crowdfunding the project and want to build at least three bus shelters to measure their effectiveness. Shah said each shelter costs about $50,000, and the team is hoping to have a prototype shelter built by sometime next year.
Daniel Roehr, associate professor at UBC, said while the team does not have any arrangement with the City of Vancouver or the transit agency, they do have permits to build three structures on the University of British Columbia campus.
Shah said Vancouver is a very walkable city, but that hardly anyone wants to walk in it during the wint...