Through our multi-disciplinary member committees, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has developed the following specialized half-day courses to complement our GRP Training Program:

• Advanced Green Roof Maintenance
• Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture
• Green Walls 101: Systems Overview and Design (2nd Ed.)
• Integrated Water Management for Buildings and Sites
• Ecological Green Roof Design
• Green Infrastructure: Policies, Performance and Projects
• Green Roof Policy Development

For courses in your area, please see our current course schedule. Many of these courses are also offered online in the Living Architecture Academy. See below for course descriptions.

Continuing Education Credits

All of the courses listed below are approved for GRP Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Many of the courses are also approved for continuing education through other organizations, and these are indicated below.

Course Manuals

Course manuals for each course are included with tuition. If you are unable to attend a course in person, the course manual can be purchased from the Green Infrastructure Store.

Online Learning

Where indicated below, half-day courses are available online via the Living Architecture Academy.

Launched in April 2011, Advanced Green Roof Maintenance contains indispensable information on green roof care and upkeep. Learn how to:

• Design to facilitate on-going maintenance
• Budget for maintenance
• Develop maintenance plans
• Perform common maintenance procedures
• Diagnose problems on a green roof
• Develop contracts and inspection reports that work in concert with warranty requirements
• Rehabilitate green roofs that have been subject to maintenance neglect.

Includes a 100-page course manual with detailed case studies. This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs.

This course – the first of its kind in North America at the time of its launch in December 2010 – discusses multiple approaches to growing food on rooftops through design and maintenance principles, and case studies drawn from across North America. Learn about:

• The diversity of physical applications of urban agriculture and the growing technologies that apply.
• The social, environmental and economic benefits of urban agriculture and rooftop farming.
• The governance, personnel and economic options for implementing urban agriculture and rooftop farming systems and operations.
• The conditions that lead to a successful urban agriculture project.
• Strategies for overcoming common challenges associated with developing an urban agriculture/rooftop farming project.
• Basic installation and maintenance principles.

Includes an 85-page course manual.

"I participated in the half-day and inaugural class: Introduction to Rooftop Urban Agriculture. Of the 101, 201…classes, trust me, I’ve taken them all, I thought this was the most relevant, informative and interesting class…ever."

- Janet M. Faust, LEED AP, GRP, Greenroof Product Manager, JDR Enterprises, Inc.

This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs. Take this course online at the Living Architecture Academy.

This updated version of our Green Walls 101: Introduction to Systems and Design course discusses design and construction best practices for green facades and living walls, as well as the latest research findings on the environmental benefits of these technologies.

• Determine major functions and components of green walls;
• Describe characteristics and assess various advantages of different green wall systems;
• Understand market drivers encouraging green wall implementation in North America;
• Understand how to design green walls for maximum benefits and LEED™ points.

This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs. Take this course online at the Living Architecture Academy.

Developed jointly by GRHC and American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) committee members, this course provides technical and economic information on the design and performance of a fully integrated site and building water management system based on the “Net Zero Water” concept.

This approach promises to significantly reduce the consumption of potable water in buildings, reduce discharge to municipal waste water systems, and save on municipal energy by reducing the amount of potable water treated at municipal facilities. The recognition of the connection between water management and energy conservation is emerging as a new opportunity in integrated management systems.

Key concepts and terminology are illustrated by case studies and demonstration projects which identify issues and opportunities associated with:

• Costs and benefits
• Design and engineering practices
• Installation and maintenance requirements
• Efficiency and performance of a fully functional integrated site and building water management system based on the “Net Zero Water” concept.

This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs. Take this course online at the Living Architecture Academy.

Ecological Design for Green Roofs is a specialized course that teaches participants how to achieve maximum biodiversity benefits from their projects and design green roofs to support native flora and fauna. Case studies inform and illustrate fundamental concepts. Learning objectives include:

• Understanding biodiversity within the context of urban ecology.
• Examining green roof ecosystems and how they can meet the challenges that urban environments present to ecological design.
• Identifying determinants and indicators of biodiversity on green roofs.
• Establishing strategies and assessment criteria for green roof designs that maximize biodiversity.

This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs.

This half-day course provides attendees with a review of various vegetative technologies in urban areas (i.e. green walls, green roofs, urban forests, rain gardens), presents the latest research on their many performance benefits, and showcases a variety of leading edge policy and program developments in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, New York and Toronto that support the greening of our cities. Ideal for policy makers and other advocates of urban greenery.

Developed by the Green Infrastructure Foundation. This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs.

This half-day workshop is designed for government and non-governmental organizations interested in implementing green roof policies and incentives at the local, regional or state level. The importance and benefits of green roofs are discussed and several successful case studies are presented as the basis for discussion.

This course is approved for 3.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for GRPs.

For more information on our GRP Training Program, please contact Jordan Richie at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 416-971-4494 ext. 221.