Episode 17 - Blazing a Green Roof Trail with Tom Liptan
In this episode, Sustainable Futures sits down with green roof pioneer Tom Liptan, one of the key figures in launching the green roof market in North America, to discuss the growths and changes in the green roof industry and where it could go from here. Tom’s journey with green roofs began out of his own interest, building a green roof by himself on his garage, and over time grew to influence his work with the city of Portland and his thinking about urban ecosystems and climate resilience. He has been a key figure in the growth and development of the green roof industry and the thinking around North American stormwater management through green infrastructure. Join us for a conversation on the early days of North American green roofs, climate resilience, and reflections on an illustrious career in green infrastructure.
Guest
Tom Liptan
Green Infrastructure Consultant and Researcher
Tom Liptan is a registered landscape architect and a retired environmental specialist for the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. Liptan has assisted numerous municipalities, developers, consultants, multi-state corporations and government agencies with acceptance of ecoroofs and other landscape approaches used for stormwater management and healthy city development. His leadership on ecoroofs and green streets has also had an international impact. He has lectured and published widely, and is the author of the 2017 book Sustainable Stormwater Management.
Host
Steven Peck, GRP, HASLA
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
Steven spearheaded the first green roof demonstration project on Toronto City Hall 20 years ago and the mandatory green roof policy in Toronto a decade ago. This innovative policy has resulted in more than 6 million additional square feet of green space across the city. Due to Steven’s work, GRHC has helped to win green roof policy victories in San Francisco, Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; and Denver, Colorado. Steven also founded Green Infrastructure Ontario coalition to bring together organizations that share an interest in the protection and development of green infrastructure in Ontario. In 2007 he co-founded the World Green Infrastructure Network, an international organization that promotes the use of green infrastructure around the world.
