China is set to construct the world’s greenest city

In an effort to combat air pollution and climate change, China is planning to construct the world’s first city that is made up of vertical forests. Every building in the Liuzhou Forest City including houses and schools will be covered entirely in plants and trees.

The forest will include almost a million plants of 100 species and tens of thousands of trees. Nearly 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 57 tons of pollutants will be absorbed by the massive collection of greenery, while approximately 900 tons of oxygen will be generated.

The city will be north of Liuzhou in a mountainous region of southern China along the Liujiang river. It will cover around 342 acres with over 70 buildings.

Around 30,000 residents will have electricity provided by solar panels and air conditioning powered by geothermal energy. Forest City will also have a fast rail line that connects to Liuzhou for electric cars.

The green city was designed at Stefano Boeri Architetti, a Milan-based studio of architecture founded by Stefano Boeri. In addition to curbing air pollution, the abundant vegetation is expected to reduce noise pollution, promote cooler temperatures, and improve biodiversity in the region.

Stefano Boeri explained: “For the first time in China and in the world, an innovative urban settlement will combine the challenge for energy self-sufficiency and for the use of renewable energy with the challenge to increase biodiversity and to effectively reduce air pollution in urban areas – which is really critical for present-day China – thanks to the multiplication of vegetable and biological urban surfaces.”

The Liuzhou Municipality Urban Planning Bureau has approved the plan, and construction will begin in the year 2020.

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Image Credit: Stefano Boeri Architetti