Greening Roofs in Canada

Recent statistics reveal that 80% of all Canadians live in major cities and during the current century, urbanization will escalate.

Canadian cities represent dense development with more and more people living on less and less land. The scarcity of urban land demands an increasingly creative use of roofs and terraces to replace the land that is lost. The reduction of ground level urban land for open space demands the fullest utilization of green roofs.

Building green roofs, storm water management and green spaces have become major topics in the planning process. Rooftops that are considered as remnant spaces and abandoned to housing elevator shafts and mechanical systems, should now be used for accessible social and recreational purposes. Well researched green living landscapes including roofs, balconies, terraces and walls provide a linkage to the street and open spaces beyond.

Greening rooftops provide many benefits to users, developers and those who enjoy the view from adjoining buildings. Green rooftops are an undervalued economic asset and are often not appreciated as an environmental resource. A fully developed green roof as a source of urban recreation is a welcome developmental asset for the building occupants and the immediate neighborhood.

The evident benefits of green rooftops may potentially outweigh the cost of installation and add to the enjoyment of a city. Vegetation on roofs increase the bio-mass of the city, reduce pollutants, improve the micro-climate, reduce heat island effects and delay storm water runoff. A successful green roof requires research and analysis, as well as understanding the complexity of the required construction profile, namely:

• waterproofing, roof protection and drainage,

• light weight growing medium,

• vegetation.

There are two distinct types of green roofs:

• Intensive: an accessible roof with park-like features of trees and shrubs, and

• Extensive: an inaccessible roof to be viewed from surrounding buildings with a thin layer of growing medium.

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This manual was written as a guide for greening roofs throughout Canada.

Download Introductory manual for greening roofs .pdf file

5 standout species for extensive green roofs

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