CELPIP Reading Part 4Reading for Viewpoints Practice

Green Roof Grants May Move Beyond Square Metres

The city of Bellstrand plans to renew its commercial green-roof grant after the current fund closes this autumn. Until now, applicants have received a fixed payment for each square metre of planted roof, regardless of plant choice or public access. A review found that the formula encouraged installations but offered little information about stormwater retention or neighbourhood cooling. The next program could therefore connect payments to performance, a change affecting owners, tenants, designers, and residents.

Landscape architect Talia Mercer supports performance-based grants because two roofs of equal size can function very differently. Deep soil and varied native plants generally retain more rain than a thin decorative covering, she explains. Mercer wants a basic installation payment plus bonuses for measured water retention and habitat features. She says the two-part formula would preserve an accessible entry point while directing larger subsidies toward stronger environmental results.

Owen Prasad, who represents independent building owners, warns that extensive testing could favour corporations able to hire consultants. Small landlords may choose no roof at all if applications require modelling, sensors, and annual reports. Prasad prefers a simple area payment with a short list of approved designs that have already been assessed. He also asks the city to cover structural inspections, which can be expensive even when a project is later rejected.

Celeste Nwosu of the Shade Equity Coalition questions whether benefits should be measured only on private property. She favours extra support when tenants can use the roof or when the building stands in a neighbourhood with little tree cover. Public access is not feasible on every structure, Nwosu acknowledges, so she would accept viewing gardens or street-level shade improvements as alternatives. Her priority is ensuring that grants do not merely beautify offices in already comfortable districts.

Stormwater engineer Gordon Leung proposes testing both formulas during a one-year funding round. Half the budget would use approved standard designs, while the remainder would award bonuses for retention and neighbourhood benefits. The city could compare application rates, project diversity, maintenance, and runoff before choosing a permanent model. Mercer welcomes the measurement, and Prasad supports the trial if technical assistance is free. Council has asked staff to publish the scoring rules before applications open.