Page 8 - Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World’s Cities

natural bodies of water. Pavement and roofing materials absorb and
emit the sun’s heat, making cities even hotter. Cars, air-conditioning
units, and other machines also generate heat. In a big metropolis,
such as New York City, temperatures in summer can be about 7°F
(4°C) higher than in areas outside the city. Because cities are so
much hotter than the surrounding countryside, they are called
heat islands.
The pollution and temperature of cities impact everyone, not just
the millions of people who live and work within them. Air pollution
doesn’t just stay within city limits. It travels with the wind to all parts
of Earth. And climate change affects every living thing on Earth.
In many places, the air and ocean have become too warm for some
plants and animals. Floods, droughts, and other weather disasters hurt
wildlife too. Pollution of both air and water also harms and kills many
plants and animals.
In 2018 about 55 percent of Earth’s people lived in cities. The
United Nations, an international humanitarian and peacekeeping
organization, predicted that by 2050 that number would grow to about
68 percent. With the world’s population increasing, cities will only get
bigger, hotter, and more polluted. What is the solution? There is no one
easy answer. But green buildings such as Bosco Verticale could play an
important role.

PLANNING FOR CHANGE
In 2018 scientists, urban planners, architects, and foresters from
ninety-three countries, including Bosco Verticale designer Stefano
Boeri, gathered in the small city of Mantua, Italy, to discuss how
they could contribute to creating greener cities. At the conference,
called the World Forum on Urban Forests, these experts discussed
projects in place and future projects that could help stem climate
change, reduce pollution, combat increased temperatures, and
protect wildlife.

8 Buildings That Breathe