Toronto is leading the way in green infrastructure, integrating nature-based solutions into urban planning. From green roofs to the Green Streets Program, the city’s innovative policies enhance climate resilience and improve community well-being, setting a model for sustainable urban development.

As Toronto co-hosts the 20th Anniversary of CitiesAlive in November, this article chronicles the early policy steps taken by the City to mandate and incentivize green roofs, now covering more than 10 million sf of roof area. 

An overview of the severity of the international water crisis and efforts to address it in Europe through green infrastructure policies and regulations, including the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the recent adoption of the Nature Restoration Law.

How constant vigilance is required to maintain supportive policies for green roofs and other progressive building policies as demonstrated through the work of GRiT in Portland Oregon.

Cities have important roles to play in protecting and developing biodiversity. Read about Toronto’s innovative PollinateTO Grant Program and how the latest Toronto Green Standard incorporates biodiversity. 

A great review of multiple policy changes proposed recently by the World Green Infrastructure Network to the European Union (EU) to support the increased utilization of green infrastructure in the built environment throughout Europe.

Senator Mona Das explains why she sponsored a bill in Washington State that would require green roofs on new buildings and what the outcomes of this initiative were.

The City of Denver is developing numerous policy initiatives designed to ensure community livability in the face of a changing climate and this provides an overview of the many initiatives underway.

This article provides an overview of various policy initiatives underway by the European Commission that may support greater green infrastructure investment, in response to severe climate change impacts experienced throughout Europe this summer.

The Polish Green Roof and Wall Industry is thriving under a series of new national and local funding programs and regulations.

Dusty Gedge explains how new policies enacted in England promise to improve biodiversity by measuring the biodiversity related impacts of development and requiring a net gain in biodiversity – good news for green roofs.

Back in May 2020, the European Union presented its biodiversity strategy for 2030 – a comprehensive plan to protect nature, reverse the degradation of ecosystems and put Europe's biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030.

The European Solar Rooftops Initiative presents a unique opportunity to maximize the impact for cities and citizens promoting the combination of green infrastructure and solar installations on every rooftop and impervious surface where it is economically and technically feasible.

Promulgated on August 24, 2021, the Climate and Resilience Act includes article 101 that strengthens and expands previous laws in favor of implementing green roofs. The French government is taking these additional steps so that green roofs can be implemented more widely, particularly to promote the acceptance of biodiversity and the fight against climate change.

The European Union’s new Energy Performance of Buildings Directive falls short when it comes to the integration of living architecture, despite widespread public support for having more nature in cities and more government action on climate change.

Did you ever have a school assignment growing a seedling? Did you ever do that on the roof of your school building? There is a bill in Congress that could make this a reality for our country’s learners. Not only that, it would help mitigate climate change, reduce the urban heat island, create jobs, and grow our economy for generations to come.

New York City’s current Green Roof Tax Abatement (GRTA) Program is the result of an ongoing 13-year stakeholder advocacy effort. A GRTA working group is helping to advocate for improvements to the program which will increase program uptake and green roof benefits.

In cities, we can reverse climate change trends if we renature urban areas. By interweaving green infrastructure within the built environment, we can tackle some of the effects of human-induced warming locally. At the same time, we can limit further urbanization, which will increase the severity of heatwaves as well as precipitation and resulting runoff intensity.

A grass-roots climate action group powered by the volunteer efforts of moms dared to imagine what Cambridge, MA could become if its rooftops were transformed by pollinator-friendly gardens, meadows, and a farm or two.

In April 19, the first Canadian federal budget in two years was released, “A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience”. The budget included some big wins for green/natural infrastructure, including the creation of a dedicated Natural Infrastructure Fund.