Back to All Events

Policy Symposium

  • Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (map)

Virtual Event in EST timezone

In our highly capitalized world, the greatest drivers of green infrastructure implementation are supportive policy and the organization of advocacy groups. Green infrastructure implementation through policy initiatives such as incentives, mandates, or other supportive measures provides city, state and federal governments with the tools to develop shovel-ready projects that can enhance climate resilience, expedite COVID19 recovery, and reimagine healthier communities.

Although green roofs have had a slow adoption as a standard roofing option due to high costs in designs and installation, they nonetheless are cost effective in terms of long-term savings. Cities have also implemented incentive programs to benefit from low-cost financing to cover the upfront premium costs. The first green roof bylaw was passed in 2009 in Toronto, ON, and green infrastructure has since grown in awareness and recognition of its myriad benefits, and is becoming ever more important to consider in the policy making process because of our growing population and the ravages of climate change affecting our communities. 


Join us to learn from a variety of North American policy makers about how to administer transformative policy to create a more resilient future with green infrastructure. The policy symposium is designed for policy makers and advocates. It will provide case studies of green roof policy making and strategy in Portland, OR, Toronto ON, and Cambridge, MA.


Registration fee: $49 USD

SPEAKERS

Policy Opportunities to Advance Green Roof Market Development

Steven (W) Peck

1:00pm

Founder and President, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities; Founder, Green Infrastructure Ontario and WGIN

This presentation will present the public and private business case for green roof policy and describes some of the key elements required for success.

Using municipal planning tools to grow sustainability solutions

Shayna Stott

1:30pm

Planner, Environmental Planning, Strategic Initiative, Policy and Analysis

City Planning Division City of Toronto

Learn more about what the City of Toronto has been doing to incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation into the development review and approvals process using the Toronto Green Standard (TGS). This session will cover recent updates to the city's sustainability requirements to advance the implementation of green infrastructure as part of new development.

Portland Green Roof Policy Implementation and Future

Elizabeth Hart Morris

President of Green Up Roofing

2:00pm

How Portland created a green roof mandate through grassroots efforts, and ways that incentives may be extended outside of Center City.

Citizen Advocacy for Green Roofs

Melissa Ludtke

Mothers Out Front, a nonprofit moms-led climate action organization

2:30pm

Explore how a moms-led group of climate activists in Cambridge, MA succeeded in changing a city zoning ordinance so that vegetative or bio-solar roofs must be part of any new construction of buildings larger than 25,000 square feet. When the City Council passed this zoning change, its members made Cambridge the first city in New England to mandate green roofs.

Update on Green Roof Policy

Peter Lowitt

Director at DEC

3:00pm

The revisions to the Green Roof Policy handout. Find what works, what you can do to advance green roof and green infrastructure in your markets, and the important role the business community can play in green roof policy.

Earlier Event: July 29
Denver Mile High Symposium