Page 5 - Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World’s Cities
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CHAPTER 1
Greening Our Cities
Do you live or go to school in a city full of tall buildings and paved
sidewalks? If so, look outside your window. What do you see? You might
see the concrete wall of a skyscraper, a fire escape, or rooftops. No matter
where you live, imagine instead looking out upon branches full of leaves,
as if you were standing in a forest. Imagine looking out from a treescraper.
Pretend you’re taking an elevator inside this treescraper. The door
opens to a floor of apartments. Each of them has a terrace with views
unlike those of other apartment buildings. The terraces are alive. They
are shaded by branches filled with green leaves and nesting birds.
Blooms fill the air with sweetness. For residents, it’s almost like living
in a treehouse. The place invites visitors and residents to take a deep
breath, sit down, and relax. Could this treescraper exist in a congested
city? Yes, it can—and it does.
Greening Our Cities 5
