Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2020 - 25

public support and performance.
In the case of San Francisco, the option to employ solar, living
roofs, or a combination was key to its ready path to approval and
implementation.
As described above, Denver was able to achieve consensus once
stakeholders arrived at a menu of compliance options.
When considering parallel paths, consideration needs to be
given to creating a level playing field: each path or technology
should be assessed in terms of cost-recovery and environmental
benefit, and calibrated accordingly.
Properly scaled incentives can facilitate policy acceptance, and
encourage emergent supportive providers to enter the marketplace.
Complementing compliance options for mandatory policies
with incentive policies may make choosing a green roof option
more appealing. However, incentive policies with low tax abatements, minimal rebates, or strict restrictive covenants will not be
adequate to encourage markets to emerge. The benefits of incentive
programs should outweigh or meet the cost of installing a green
roof to have a meaningful effect.

PERFORMANCE IS THE PURPOSE.

Performance-based measures, such as minimum retention rates for
stormwater, coupled with prescribing systems and components, is
fundamental to establishing best practices. Performance requirements allow for market flexibility, as well as maintaining space for
innovation. Municipalities do not need to invent such framework
(unless they really want to): The Living Architecture Performance
Tool (LAPT) is available to calibrate the performance of green
roofs and walls. It provides a scientifically based framework of
performance measures and minimum prerequisites for the design,
installation, and maintenance of these technologies. You can download the LAPT at www.greeninfrastructurefoundation.org

"THE LIVING ARCHITECTURE
PERFORMANCE TOOL (LAPT) IS
AVAILABLE TO CALIBRATE THE
PERFORMANCE OF GREEN ROOFS AND
WALLS. IT PROVIDES A SCIENTIFICALLY
BASED FRAMEWORK OF PERFORMANCE
MEASURES AND MINIMUM
PREREQUISITES FOR THE DESIGN,
INSTALLATION, AND MAINTENANCE
OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES."
- JEFF JOSLIN
LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

BEST PRACTITIONERS PROVIDE
A CERTAIN PATH TO BEST PRACTICES.

Green Roof Professional (GRP) certification is designed to provide
those who earn the accreditation with knowledge of best practices
in design, installation, and maintenance. Should concern be raised
about the availability of professional capacity or expertise, such
certification can be referenced, and even incented by providing
expedited review for certified professionals.

EVERY LOCALE IS A "SPECIAL FLOWER", BUT NOT.

The Green Roof Policy In North America document provides a
comprehensive list of policies and regulations currently in place,
and resources and contacts to dive deeper when looking for bestcomparables as new initiatives are considered or getting underway.
This information is already being well-exploited. It's highly recommended that each next effort steal and borrow freely, adopting and
customizing these existing wheels rather than inventing new ones.
Relying on pre-existent models advance the case that green roof
requirements are not exotic and uncertain, but are - in fact - fully
vetted and effective at the building, community, regional, and - ultimately - planetary scales.
As in so many things, green roof policy perfection can be the
enemy of the good.
Local appetite for new regulation is variable, particularly when
considering "new" technologies in an unevolved market. There's
wisdom in manifesting politically expedient "starter" requirements
if necessary, allowing the market and the trades to mature, in
anticipation of additional requirements down the road as changing
political landscapes and other policy efforts present new opportunities to expand or otherwise augment approaches already in-place.

THE CONCLUSION:
THERE'S ONLY ONE BEST TIME TO DEPLOY
GREEN ROOF POLICIES AND REGULATION.

Not surprisingly, that time is: now, which is why region-by-region
and city-by-city, increasingly aggressive green roof policies are
being established each year. And this period of sheltering and
distancing further underscores the environmental, outdoor space,
and aesthetic benefits of green roofs, which will be all-the-more
appreciable - if not essential - to our calm and health in this rapidly
emerging era of post COVID 19 recovery ahead.
Green roofs and walls provide proven approaches to meeting
multiple policy objectives at all scales and in all North American
economies and climates. And they do so in a manner that is costeffective, address multiple climate change objectives simultaneously,
and contribute directly and immediately to making projects - and
our communities - more resilient and sustainable.
More Information
Jeff Joslin is the Director Current Planning, City of San Francisco
and the Chair of GRHC's Policy Committee.
Green Roof Policy in North America is a free resource:
greenroofs.org/policy-resources
The Living Architecture Performance Tool is a free resource:
greeninfrastructurefoundation.org/lapt
LIVING ARCHITECTURE MONITOR / SUMMER 2020 / 25

http://www.greeninfrastructurefoundation.org http://www.greenroofs.org/policy-resources http://www.greeninfrastructurefoundation.org/lapt http://www.LIVINGARCHITECTUREMONITOR.COM

Green Roofs - Living Architecture Monitor - Summer 2020

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