What Are Green Walls?

What are green walls?

Green walls, also called plant walls and vertical gardens, are walls or vertical structures that have plants and vegetation attached to them. They can be indoors or outdoors and can be their own freestanding structure or they can be attached to an existing structure. The first successful green wall was created in 1986 Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris, which popularized plant walls. It has since become increasingly popular in a lot of urban, cosmopolitan areas, particularly in the last 5-10 years.

What does a green wall do?

Its primary purpose was for aesthetics; designers and architects are involved in the process, and many green walls around the world are crafted to be striking and sometimes, a piece of art. In built-up urban spaces, green walls are even more eye-catching, especially when put up on modern glass buildings or concrete structures. It is another form of urban agriculture, which is increasingly necessary when many green spaces have been coopted in cities around the world. 

What are the other benefits of green walls?

While its creation was mainly for aesthetic purposes, there are actually a number of benefits that come with green walls. Active green walls, for example (green walls that use technology to control and monitor its irrigation system and health), also help with improving air quality. Used in cities with poor reputations for air quality, green walls could be a key method of helping to alleviate pollution in major cities. 

As well as this, they can also be used to help lower the temperature of buildings. In urban areas, a lot of office blocks and tall buildings can cause the temperatures of the areas to be significantly higher than other areas as these buildings absorb heat and radiation. Plant walls can help cool the surface of buildings, thus helping to drop the overall temperature of the area. Lastly, green walls can also help to increase urban biodiversity in areas, through planting specific vegetation. 

Know a green wall near you? Let us know in the comments below.