As the world’s population continues to grow, and with the vast majority of us living in urban areas, there’s a need to create cities that are more energy efficient, less polluting and greener.
Singapore's 'supertrees' are sustainable vertical gardens housing 162,900 individual plants representing more than 200 species. The tallest supertree is equivalent to a 16-storey building. Photo: Rod Waddington / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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Often held up as example of a city of the future, Singapore is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but also one of the greenest and most biodiverse. Buildings are capped with rooftop gardens and walls drip with hanging plants, thanks to a law meaning developers have to incorporate such greenery into their designs.
Should we be doing the same for our cities here in Aotearoa? And which plants would thrive on windy Wellington walls?
Victoria University of Wellington architecture PhD candidate Maggie McKinnon is testing whether native plants can hack it in a green wall set-up in the city. At the same time, she's investigating potential benefits for local residents – including the feathered kind.
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PhD candidate Maggie McKinnon is investigating the properties and performance of vertical gardens that can hang on building exteriors. Photo: Claire Concannon / RNZ
