The move from horizontal to vertical greening

Traditional horizontal greening requires fairly sizeable ground spaces. Nevertheless, restrained by narrow space, heavy pedestrian and road traffic, densely packed buildings and numerous underground facilities, the areas available for horizontal greening in urban area remain at a premium. Free from spatial limitations, vertical greening expands the planting of greenery to places where horizontal greening is impractical. Let's all do our bit to open up a new chapter in greening by exploring more potential planting spaces and creating a cleaner, greener Hong Kong we can all enjoy!

The importance of vertical greening:

• To grow more greenery by using buildings' walls and fences
• It's perfect for densely populated cities with limited urban spaces
• In Hong Kong the possibility of greening in traditional ways is hampered by not only above-ground buildings and over-crowded roads and pavements, but also underground facilities. Liberated from such obstacles, vertical greening will measurably expand the total area of greenery in urban areas

The benefits of vertical greening:

1. Alleviate global warming

• Plants can absorb carbon dioxide and slow down global warming
• Just 100 sq. meter of vertical greenery can absorb approximately 235 kg of carbon dioxide annually – the same amount as absorbed by 20 trees

2. Minimizes noise

• A wall of vertical greening on a building can reduce ambient environmental noise by around 5 to 10 decibels

3. Other advantages shared with horizontal greening

• Purifies the air by absorbing harmful pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and atmospheric particulate matters
• Adjusts microclimate and relieves 'heat island' effect
• Beautifies the environment by adding areas of greenery to the concrete jungle