Cities worldwide face common problems – the effects of rapid urbanization and climate change.
But cities in developing countries are more vulnerable to these threats and thus would need to bolster their mitigation and adaptation strategies.
Rapid urbanization can intensify heat caused by the urban heat island (UHI) effect increase pollution, floods, and pressure resources like water and electricity as population and need for cooling grow.
As extreme events increase due to climate change, their impacts will be more significant in cities with a high-density population.
Increased pavements in crowded cities can create uninhabitable temperatures that endanger residents’ lives. Cities like Delhi, Dhaka, Bangkok, Manila, and Mumbai are already suffering from intense heat.
The research article, “Global urban population exposure to extreme heat“, explains that exposure to health-endangering heat has tripled in recent decades.
Projections of climbing temperatures and impacts of rapid urbanization can affect a city’s living conditions, especially in poor areas. These areas usually lack vegetation compared to their wealthier counterparts.
Their dwellings are not well-ventilated, most cannot afford air conditioning to alleviate the heat; hence heat-related deaths and strokes are much higher in poorer areas.
Cities will need to develop a plan to mitigate the effects of heat and pollution and other impacts of climate change. Thankfully, solutions to tackle these problems are available, and some cities are already doing it.
Cities pressed to find more room for green spaces and parks could opt for vertical gardens and forests.
These vertical green spaces can be powerful tools to fight excessive heat, provide shade, and evapotranspiration from the plant’s leaves can reduce air temperature.
Plants and vegetation also contribute to residents’ mental and psychological well-being.
Below are two examples of cities embracing greening and implementing vertical gardens.
Singapore has started its idea of a “garden city” way back in 1967. The city has engaged in intensive tree planting. As their population grew and buildings grew taller, they shifted to vertical planting and garden roofs.
Today, Singapore has 100 hectares of skyrise greenery, with plans to expand this to 200 hectares by 2030. Its vertical gardens have caused temperatures to drop by 2-3C.
Milan’s “Vertical Forest” also exemplified vertical space for greenery. The city’s two residential apartments host 900 trees and two thousand shrubs and floral plants. The project serves as a model for a sustainable residential building and a project for metropolitan reforestation contributing to environmental regeneration and urban biodiversity.
These vertical forests can create a microclimate, absorb CO2, and purify the air.
Vertical green spaces are also emerging in cities worldwide, both in public and private areas, as architects and urban planners are beginning to see their benefits.
For these vertical garden spaces to continue providing expected services and benefits, cities should implement a good management plan to ensure these infrastructure assets have appropriate funding and maintenance to continue serving their purpose.
[…] a city pressed for more space, vertical green spaces and vertical forests are now seen in cities like Singapore, Milan, Australia, and others can be a good solution for […]