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Green Garage on Treehugger
By chance, Lloyd Alter from TreeHugger.com happened by while I was finishing up an install on a small green-roofed shed last week.
Green roofs, prefabrication, and modern design are three of his favorite things, so it was a happy coincidence!
Read the rest of the article, and view the video interview here
Council approves stringent green-roof rules
By Jennifer Lewington for The Globe And Mail (Wed., May 27, 2009):
Green roofs will be required on new buildings in Toronto starting next year after city council yesterday overwhelmingly adopted the most comprehensive rules of any city in North America.
By a vote of 36-2, with councillors Rob Ford and Doug Holyday the only dissenters, council approved measures that developers warn will add to costs and that green-roof advocates say do not go far enough.
The new bylaw catapults Toronto to the top of the heap in North America in terms of the comprehensiveness of its mandated rules, according to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. But the advocacy group said that Toronto does not even rank in the top 10 of North American cities – with Chicago in Number 1 spot – in terms of square footage of green roofs installed in 2008.
“We would have liked it [the Toronto bylaw] to be more aggressive,” said Steven Peck, president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, though he praised council for “exercising leadership” on a tool to fight climate change.
Stephen Dupuis, chief executive officer of the Building Industry and Land Development Association, said the biggest concern for developers is the cost of adjusting to the new requirements during an economic downturn. “Cost is an issue,” he said. “The market is so price-sensitive now.”
Mr. Dupuis cited a 50-per-cent drop in condo sales in Toronto last month, to 398 units from 798 units in the same month a year ago.
The new rules kick in for new residential buildings constructed after Jan. 31, 2010, that are at least 2,000 square metres – a tougher provision than the 5,000-square-metre threshold initially suggested by city staff – and at least 20 metres high (six storeys), down from the 23 metres originally proposed.
Mr. Peck said his organization would have preferred the measure to apply to low-rise buildings as well.
Industrial buildings were given a reprieve until Jan. 31, 2011, when they will have to set aside either 10 per cent of the roof or 2,000 square metres, whichever is less, for sod and other eco-materials.
Deputy mayor Joe Pantalone (Ward 19, Trinity-Spadina), who led the charge for tougher rules, called the new requirements for green roofs “an opportunity rather than a handicap.”
He noted that roofs make up 21 per cent of Toronto’s surface area, raising the temperature of the urban environment and pushing up demand for electricity in summer months. Garden roofs, he added, help conserve rainfall, reduce energy demand and add to the beauty of the city.
With yesterday’s resounding vote, Mr. Pantalone said, “You will see other municipalities now looking to Toronto and emulating us for the greater good of humanity.”
But dissenting councillors questioned the need for Toronto to be a leader in setting new environmental regulations.
“Why do we have to be first?” Mr. Holyday asked before voting against the measure. “Who are we? We can’t even pay our bills.”
But Councillor Norm Kelly (Ward 40, Scarborough-Agincourt) praised the decision as “a pretty darn good starting point.
“I would rather be first than last,” he said.
Further Consultation on Toronto Green Roof By-Law
The City of Toronto is holding further consultations regarding the proposed Green Roof By-Law. These meetings are primarily dealing with the proposals about where the city should require green roofs on new construction (the current proposal is residential buildings with 20,000 m² GFA or more, and industrial/commercial/institutional buildings of 10,000 m² GFA or more).
The corollary document about how green roofs should be constructed — the proposed Toronto Green Roof Construction Guidelines — is still under development. From discussions I’ve had with the city, it seems that many of the points I raised in my last post are being considered. It sounds like some of the prescriptive requirements will be replaced with “best practice” guidelines and recommendations. There may also be some distinction made based on the overall size of the green roof being constructed … something I think is important for small-scale and residential green roofs.
I’m meeting with the city in the next few weeks to find out more about the construction standard and it’s development, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you are interested in attending one of the sessions dealing with the requirement for green roofs on new construction projects, you’ll need to RSVP. Here is the invite with the details, or visit the city’s website at http://toronto.ca/greenroofs/ for more and up-to-date information.
To whom it may concern:
Toronto’s City Planning Division is seeking your input on a proposed Green Roof By-law for the City of Toronto. This by-law, under the new authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, would require green roofs on certain types of new buildings and establish a standard for green roof design and construction in Toronto.
In December 2008, City Planning completed the first round of public consultations on where to require green roofs under the proposed Green Roof By-law. Staff considered the feedback received during the consultation period and recommended in a staff report to the January 8, 2009 Planning and Growth Management Committee that further consultation be undertaken and that staff report back to the Committee with a draft by-law in April 2009.
On February 16th and February 27th City Planning will be hosting consultation sessions to hear your comments on proposed options for requiring green roofs in the City of Toronto. You are invited to attend one of these meetings to provide your input on the proposed by-law. Toronto Building staff will also be on hand to provide an update on the Toronto Green Roof Construction Standard.
A third session is scheduled on February 18th to discuss revised proposals for industrial use buildings. This meeting is intended for owners of industrial buildings and industry representatives.
Information on the location of the meetings and a revised proposal to require green roofs will be circulated one week prior to the meeting date to participants who are registered for the session.
To register for the consultation please R.S.V.P. by Monday February 9th to Kerri Unger at kunger@toronto.ca and indicate which one of the following sessions you wish to attend:
Monday, February 16, 2009
Metro Hall, Room 308
55 John Street, Toronto
2:00 – 5:00 pm
Friday, February 27, 2009
Metro Hall, Room 309
55 John Street, Toronto
2:00 – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
(Industrial meeting)
2:00 – 5:00 pm
If you have any further questions please contact Shayna Stott at 416-392-0171.
