Green homes are passe. China has taken a giant leap in environment preservation by creating the world’s first vertical forest city.
World’s first vertical forest city in China
China’s first vertical forest city, which will be based in the mountainous region of Guanxi, across a 175-hectare space close to Liujiang River. The green city which is already under construction is expected to house 30,000 residents across a large residential area, and the project will also have offices, hotels, and schools.
To control smog and produce sufficient amount of oxygen, the green city will have 40,000 trees along with more than 1 million plants across 100 species. These have been specially selected to control pollution, and when fully grown, these plants will be able to absorb 10,000 tonnes of Co2 and several tonnes of pollutants annually while producing 900 tonnes of oxygen.
The trees within the vertical city, which is scheduled to open in 2020, will provide multiple benefits to its residents as cooling agents and also as noise barriers from highway traffic. To maximise its eco-friendliness and self-sufficiency in terms of energy needs, each building will use geothermal systems and solar panels. All the skyscrapers in the city will be covered with plants to offset pollution generated by people and vehicles.
The project will have buildings with smog-eating walls to reduce air pollution. The city will be connected to the nearest city of Liuzhou by a super-fast electric powered train line and electric cars. As each building will be covered with plants and creepers, the greenery will protect the residents from seasonal changes during summer and winter, thereby encouraging them to use less electricity.
This project is being developed as a joint venture between Shanghai Tongyan Architectural and Planning Design Company and Stefano Boeri Architetti of Milan that is providing the master plan.
The city, when it becomes a reality, will help China to become a global leader in promoting green technology that will hopefully encourage other nations to follow suit. As per the New York Times, the Chinese government plans to spend around $360 billion on renewable energy by 2020.
