This next post come from 'Positive News' a online news source (also you can buy a monthly physical issues I believe). Now it's not often China gets a good press in western media but this article gives them just that and deservedly so.
We all know that China have a big pollution problem (as do most countries, but China's is particularly bad) and trees can soak up this. In past generations we have hacked down many of this planets trees to feed our needs, possibly with a naivety of just how important they really are (but hey the magic of trees is a whole other post in the pipeline). I digress, anyway the lack of trees on this planet is a every growing issue which needs to be address if humanity and indeed the planet herself are to prosper! Step in Italian architect 'Stefano Boeri'. Boeri has designed 'Liuzhou' Forest City' in Liuzhou south China:
(Credit - Stefano Boeri via Positive News)
Amazing isn't it!
It will house 40,000 trees, over 1 million plants and of course all the animals will make it their home too. Not only that it will consume 57 tonnes of airborne pollutants, in turn producing around 900 tonnes of oxygen every year, for fresh breathing. On top of that its predicted it will consume 10,000 tones of CO2 every year wow! Everyone is a winner!
This is not a new concept however; the Basque in Spain have the Palace of Congresses
(Credit - http://viralhomes.com)
And in Beirut due to lack of green space they have:
(Credit - http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/09/world/meast/beirut-wonder-forest/)
So not a new concept at all, but on this scale its groundbreaking and I'd say dam amazing. This is the future of our cites, it means we can live with nature, which benefits us on so many levels. Also nature can exist where cites are, a massive bonus as so many trees get cut down to make way for mans structures.
I hope it becomes the global practice even in our current cites. As much as I would love us all to live in the woods and be sustainable, I guess not everyone would be willing to do this (Yet)
Construction has started and will be completed by 2020. I have to say this is exciting and really a step forward in modern architecture.
Its a trend that will hopefully come to a city near you or maybe you've seen this and are going to grow a vertical garden on your property, whats stopping you?
