For BC Designers, Consultants & Contractors
By Cristina Senjug, Partnership Manager with Dr. Karen Liu, Green Roof Specialist, Next Level Stormwater Management
In February 2026, the City of Vancouver released the Rain City Green Roof Best Practices Guide a green roof resource for architects, landscape architects, engineers, consultants, developers and contractors in British Columbia (BC).
While not a binding construction standard, the guide provides practical, implementable solutions to help meet Vancouver’s target of capturing and treating 90% of average rainfall through green infrastructure.
The City’s Rain City Green Roof Best Practices Guide is the result of three years of collaboration between various internal departments and external consulting firms and subject matter experts.
Next Level’s Vancouver-based Dr. Karen Liu, Green Roof Specialist was humbled to take part and contribute her knowledge and experience to this important document.
Encourages Multi-Functional Green Roofs
The guide encourages green roof designs that optimize multi-functional benefits and performance to help advance the City’s climate adaptation, livability and environmental issues.
While not a construction standard, the guide offers practical guidance that enhance the quality and resilience of green roofs through design, installation and maintenance.
Recommended Plant List & More
Some highlights from the Rain City Green Roof Best Practices Guide:
- Explains how green roofs advance the City’s strategies and policies, including its updated Rainwater Management requirements that came into effect on January 1st, 2026.
- Shares best practices for the design, installation and maintenance of resilient and multi-functional green roofs, highlighting the life-cycle approach.
- Offers design scenarios that emphasize multi-functionality and multiple co-benefits such as rainwater management, biodiversity, amenity space and urban agriculture.
- Shares case studies of green roofs in Vancouver, including the renowned Robson Square and BC Law Courts roof that was originally built in 1978 and reconstructed in 2009.
- Provides a recommended green roof plant list to support pollinators, enhance urban biodiversity and foster ecosystem connectivity.
- Includes a habitat enhancement guide that offers design strategies to create biodiverse green roofs that support bees, insects and birds in the city.
Emphasis on Quality & Function
The green roof guide emphasizes the importance of both quality and function when undertaking a green roof project.
From a supplier’s perspective, Next Level Stormwater Management (NLSM) could not agree more. Our company offers high quality green roof systems to achieve a wide range functions such as rainwater management, biodiversity enhancement and amenity provision.
Tested & Guaranteed Vegetated Roofs
NLSM’s high-performing materials and systems have been accepted for the RCABC’s RoofStar Vegetated Roof Guarantee and have been tested to the stringent CSA A123.24 Standard Test Method for Wind Resistance of Vegetated Roof Assembly recently incorporated in the newly released National Building Code of Canada 2025.
Canada’s Supplier of more than 2.5 Million SQFT
Next Level Stormwater Management (NLSM) is Canada’s leading supplier of high performance rooftop retention and detention solutions such as LiteN’Less™, StormCap™, Alpine Meadow and SpongeBase™. Ready to start your green roof project? The NLSM team has more than 90 years combined industry experience and here to support you at every stage from design and construction to maintenance. Please email us or call 416-637-5772 today.