Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2017 - 24

POLICY

BUILDING
SAN FRANCISCO'S BETTER
ROOFS ORDINANCE
BY JEFF JOSLIN, DIRECTOR, CURRENT PLANNING, SAN FRANCISCO
AND EMMA TAMLIN, GREEN ROOFS FOR HEALTHY CITIES

The Living Architecture Policy Library (LAPL) examines the process
behind developing policies that are focused on green roofs and/or walls.
This is the second case study in the LAPL which is designed as a resource
for decision makers to develop effective green roof and wall policies.

n January 1st, 2017, San Francisco became the first US
city to require solar or green (living) roofs on most new
construction. The San Francisco Better Roofs Ordinance
requires between 15 and 30 per cent of roof space on
most new construction to incorporate solar, green roofs, or
a combination of both. The ordinance was approved on September 15, 2016 and October 17, 2016 by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors respectively. Although the
initiative was proposed and approved in a matter of months,
the effort to encourage more living roofs in the Bay Area was
the culmination of four years of consistent effort.
In 2013, San Francisco hosted the national green roof conference, CitiesAlive, which was co-sponsored by the Planning
Department and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC). The conference was specifically courted by the
City in order to initiate consideration of new green infrastructure policy and programs.
In preparation for the 2013 conference, SPUR (San
Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association) formed the Green Roof Task Force, which produced the
"Greener and Better Roofs Roadmap". The report recognized
that - in addition to being a prime location for renewable
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / WINTER 2017 / 24

energy resources - roofs can
host 'green' or 'living roofs'
which provide a multitude
of benefits. These include
reducing stormwater entering
the sewers, reducing energy
consumption, augmenting
roof life, improving city views,
enhancing biodiversity and
habitat, sequestering carbon,
capturing air pollution, and
connecting citizens with
nature. The SPUR Roadmap
recommended next steps for
green roof progress in San
Francisco, including the introduction of legislation.
Following the conference,
the Planning Department
formed a Living Roof Team
to continue research on San
Francisco specific rooftops.

The team led tours of existing
rooftops throughout the city,
conducted interviews of designers, analyzed other cities'
policy efforts, and researched
environmental attributes that
contribute to successful living
roofs in the Bay Area's specific
microclimate and bioregion.
The team continued to work
with various stakeholders and
city agencies to further define
priorities, roles, and best next
steps for disseminating living
roofs in San Francisco.
The culmination of this
information was crafted into
a Living Roof Manual, Living
Roof webpage, and a Living
Roof map of San Francisco.
This ongoing work since 2013
led to further work with San
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Winter 2017