Green Walls and Their Benefits: How Living Walls Are Changing Our Cities

Imagine a world where the sides of buildings, rooftops, bus stops, and even interior walls were covered in lush, green plants. Air would be cleaner, busy city streets would feel less congested, habitats for birds, bugs, and critters in between could create a vital ecosystem, and people would feel less stressed. Green walls may not solve all the world's problems, but they are a good start for both big cities and small towns alike to move toward greener living.

Green walls are becoming increasingly popular around the world, but what are their benefits, and how do they work to mitigate the climate crisis? Let's dive into the beauty and functionality of green walls, as well as their role in creating a greener future.

The Benefits of Green Walls

1. Incredible thermal properties. Green walls are fantastic insulators in both hot and cold climates — reducing heat loss in winter and keeping buildings cool in summer. By absorbing and reflecting sunlight, they can dramatically reduce the amount of energy buildings use for air conditioning and heating.

2. They make the outdoors cooler. Cities tend to be warmer than rural areas due to the Heat Island Effect — infrastructure like buildings and roads absorbs and re-emits the sun's heat, warming the surrounding air. Green walls help absorb and reflect sunlight, keeping both buildings and the surrounding air cooler, reducing urban temperatures.

3. They improve overall well-being. Our cities have been overrun by concrete and steel, which is having a negative impact on our mental health and disconnecting us from nature. Studies have shown that reintroducing plants and greenery back into our cities can help reduce stress and improve overall well-being. According to the Harvard Business Review, even a small view of nature increases both workplace productivity and patient recovery rates in hospitals.

4. Green walls save lives. Plants can extract carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and many other toxins from the air, reducing the overall amount of CO2 entering our atmosphere. The Environmental Audit Committee estimates that outdoor air pollution can cause 50,000 premature deaths in the UK per year — and in places like China, this number can be over 10 times greater. Even small reductions from widespread green walls can save lives.

5. Green walls foster biodiversity. A living wall creates an urban habitat for a variety of birds and insects, and offers plant species for bees to pollinate. These walls are crucial for a city's biodiversity, often providing nesting places far out of reach of predators — helping wildlife reclaim space in our urban environments.

Green Walls Around the Globe

Singapore is renowned for its green architecture and year-round tropical climate. The Oasia Downtown Hotel is entirely covered by a facade that allows plants to grow up the building, keeping the hotel naturally cool. The Parkroyal on Pickering Hotel features multiple stories of greenery flowing over the sides, creating a spectacular urban junglescape.

Europe is embracing the movement as well. Spain's Caixa Forum in Madrid includes 15,000 plants from over 250 species. London's planned Citicape House will become Europe's largest green wall at 40,000 square feet, with the potential to absorb eight tonnes of pollution annually.

North America is home to the largest green wall on the continent at Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, stretching over 390 square metres. Mexico City's Claustro de Sor Juana University features an incredible vertical garden art piece that is open to the public and showcases the intersection of nature and architecture.

Taiwan holds the Guinness World Record for the world's largest green wall, located in Taipei at over 2,500 square metres. Created for the Cleanaway and Shine Green Energy company, the wall beautifully disguises a sustainable waste disposal plant and was awarded the record in 2015.

Green walls serve a variety of purposes and offer lasting benefits for both humans and the environment. Cities and towns that invest in living walls today are investing in cleaner air, cooler streets, and healthier residents for decades to come.