What if something as mundane and universal as a bus shelter could add major green space to an urban environment?
First popularized in the Netherlands and now popping up across Europe, green bus stops have finally made their way to North America.
Last August, Boston, Massachusetts installed its first 30 green bus shelters along Route 28, a corridor with some of the highest bus ridership in the city that also lands in neighborhoods disproportionately affected by extreme heat.
It’s a simple concept: Use the roof of a no-frills bus station to offset the heat-island effect in urban areas devoid of trees, provide direct shade at bus shelters, help reduce flooding, improve biodiversity of native pollinators, and see something a little more beautiful on the daily commute…