Green Roofs, Green Walls, Urban Greenhouses and Hi-Tech City Landscape for Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

Green plants have always been a design element in the architecture of buildings and the urban decoration of cities. Recently however, it has been revealed that they play an effective role in tackling the negative environmental impacts and energy costs that result from the air conditioning units of buildings, enabling the utilization of spaces and surfaces otherwise not exploited in cities. The use of plant systems as a Nature-Based Solution (NBS) to improve the environmental and energy sustainability of buildings and cities is in accordance with the objectives of the COM (2013) 249 Directive "Green Infrastructures—Strengthening Natural Capital in Europe". In addition, the use of vegetation for reducing the energy costs of acclimatization in buildings has been considered by the Directive (EU) 2018/844 on Energy Efficiency and the European Green Deal 2021–2026 strategy. In this context, the plant phenomena of photosynthesis and evapotranspiration are particularly useful during hot seasons to reduce electricity consumption and CO₂ emissions that result from the air conditioning of buildings; moreover, plant-covered surfaces provide shade for and shield buildings’ outer surfaces. Thus, plant systems installed on buildings represent an attractive strategy to achieve the goals of energy efficiency and environmental regeneration, and can also involve growing food-based plants on urban green roofs and in greenhouses. This Special Issue aims to involve work from scientists and experts from various research fields on the use of vegetation to promote sustainability and energy saving, the acceleration of the decarbonization of cities, as well as the reduction of air pollution and the transformation of cities into sustainable and resilient ecosystems.

Dr. Carlo Alberto Campiotti
Prof. Dr. Carlo Bibbiani
Dr. Arianna Latini
Guest Editors

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