- Pollution, mostly associated as a by-product of urban landscapes, is also linked with climate change. Both climate change and air pollution are exacerbated by the burning of fossil fuels, which increase CO2 emissions, the cause of global warming.
- Cities consume 78 percent of the world’s energy and produce more than 60 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, they account for less than two (2) percent of the Earth’s surface.
- Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties all received F grades for particle and ozone pollution, which can lead to serious health problems for the people who live in those areas.
photo: WASP
Current Problem
Throughout the United States, pollution and air quality is a drastic problem, especially in cities. With thousands of people crammed into one space, air pollution can occur from anything, cars, construction, congestion, etc. This harsh air quality can cause health issues, including asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and cardiovascular damage.
Recently, architects and city planners have been developing a new way of building cities in order to counter city pollution called bioarchitecture, it is one of many new ways to build and design in an environmentally friendly way. This includes using sustainable building materials, incorporating plants on the sides of buildings and many more, all with the focus on creating spaces to counter pollution and better the people and environment around them.
Emerging Solutions
Los Angeles
The organization, LA Urban Farms, has been integrating roof gardens and greenspaces throughout offices and buildings of Los Angeles. Reducing air pollution, while also providing fresh produce for the people of the city. In one of the most polluted counties in the United States, efforts like these can help alleviate air quality and health within Los Angeles.
California
In San Francisco the California Academy of Sciences is considered the most sustainable museums in the world. With a 2.5 acre green roof and serving as one of the country’s largest urban parks, this San Francisco museum incorperates both bioarchitecture design and environmental consciousness. Efforts like these in California demonstrate the large effort our state is making towards achieving better environmental states.
National
The Highline in New York City is a converted train track that turned into a public walkway and park. The many green spaces embedded throughout the park provides food and shelter for the native species of the city, while also proving to be less polluted than the sidewalks beneath it. The United States is making large scale efforts to bring many different types of sustainable architecture throughout our major cities.
Global
In Sydney, Australia, One Central Park is a commercial building that has 250 various plants and flowers scaling and growing throughout the two towers. These plants allow for a reduction in energy consumption and pollution, all whilst being supported by recycled water. Throughout the world, efforts to create environmentally inclusive buildings are becoming even more relevant.
Bioarchitecture is the future for our world. Bringing Nature into city spaces will provide less pollution, better health and better wellbeing for the people living there. Our natural and the built world is not mutually exclusive, bioarchitecture is one way we can have the best of both worlds.
As noted at the top of this page, this article was written by Michael Yoo.
