Architectural adaptations
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How urban planning solutions and architecture help cool down cities
While a tool like a digital twin indeed represents an informed way to look at what parts of a city suffer the most from heat, the actual planning strategies are those making a difference in relieving a city from hot temperatures. Several good urban planning practices can be found in Europe. From ventilation corridors to groundbreaking architecture, these examples prove to be good ways of keeping downtowns cool.
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Vertical Forests
As glass buildings claim more of the skyline, architects and designers are cultivating ideas for plant-filled cities. This week's Pinterest boards feature vertical gardens, facades with crawling greenery and potted interiors.
Stefano Boeri unveils vertical forest apartment blocks for Egypt's new capital Italian architect Stefano Boeri has designed three cube-shaped vertical forest apartment blocks for Egypt's New Administrative Capital, which is being built to the east of Cairo.
Architect creates gorgeous "Vertical Forest" tree-lined high-rises that absorb 30 tons of CO2 a year
The project's two residential towers -- measuring 80 meters (262 feet) and 112 meters (367 feet) respectively -- play host to around 20,000 trees, shrubs and plants. They spill out from irregularly placed balconies and crawl up the structures' sides. By Boeri's estimates, there are two trees, eight shrubs, and 40 plants for each human inhabitant….
But the architect's proudest claim is that the buildings absorb 30 tons of carbon dioxide and produce 19 tons of oxygen a year, according to his research, with a volume of trees equivalent to more than 215,000 square feet of forestland….
Solar Panels Give Edge to Tomatoes Grown Underneath
by US Department of Energy 18/6/25 CleanTechnica
Experiments lead to a greater understanding, deeper insights, and sometimes they even bear fruit. That was certainly the case last summer at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where researchers nurtured a dozen tomato plants.
China unveils plans for world's first pollution-eating 'Forest City'
Newly unveiled plans for Liuzhou Forest City, designed by the Italian firm Stefano Boeri Architetti to be built in southern China, certainly seem to fit the bill. The 342-acre, self-contained neighborhood will comprise more than 70 buildings -- including homes, hospitals, hotels, schools and offices -- all of which will be covered with 40,000 trees and almost a million plants. Eventually, up to 30,000 people could call the Forest City home.
The plant life is expected to absorb almost 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 57 tons of pollutants per year, and produce 900 tons of oxygen a year, while also decreasing the air temperature and providing a new habitat for displaced wildlife. Solar panels on the roofs will collect renewable energy to power the buildings, while geothermal energy will power air-conditioning, adding to the project's green appeal.
The project comes on the heels of Stefano Boeri Architetti's Vertical Forest, two residential towers in Milan covered in the equivalent of five acres of forest. Completed in 2014, they remove 30,000 to 35,000 pounds (15 to 17.5 tons) of soot from the air each year, according to Boeri, meeting his team's expectations.
