Green roof industry thrives in Toronto

TORONTO -- Green Roofs for Healthy Cities (GRHC) announced a 33 percent growth in installed green roofs in Toronto in 2012 as part of the results of the Annual Green Roof Industry Survey.

“Toronto’s green roof bylaw and support for green buildings continues to keep the city in a leadership position in North America,” said GRHC founder and president Steven W. Peck.

In 2012, the Toronto Metropolitan Region installed the most green roofs in Canada: 338,310 square feet (31,430 square meters), up from 227,657 square feet (21150 square meters) in 2011. This square footage is the fourth-highest in North America, after Washington DC, Chicago, and New York City. Strong green roof policy has aided this number greatly.

"Through the Green Roof Bylaw, the City of Toronto has required over 250 development applications to include green roofs, totalling 170,000 square metres of new green roof in Toronto,” said Jane Welsh, project manager of environmental planning with the City of Toronto. “This exemplifies the city's dedication to a sustainable urban environment. Many developers have embraced the Green Roof Bylaw to bring added value to their clients."

This news comes just before Grey to Green: A Conference on the Economics of Green Infrastructure at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto (May 21-22). Presented by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Grey to Green will feature more than 50 expert speakers from across North America who are presenting the public and private economic benefits of investing in living green infrastructure such as green roofs, green walls, urban forests, biowalls and engineered wetlands. Click here for more information and to register.