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The Power of Moss

The unique characteristics of moss make it incredibly suited for green façades. With rhizoids instead of roots moss is non-invasive to the façade and with its dense leaf system it provides many wonderful benefits to the urban environment:

Contaminant reduction:

Moss converts CO2 to oxygen and absorbs and removes other pollutants such as PM10, VOCs, NOx, and NH3, from water and air.

Water retention:

Moss can absorb and retain large amounts of water in its leaf system.

Cooling:

Through evapotranspiration and shielding of the surface from sunlight moss attributes to cooling of the structure.

Biodiversity:

Moss increases local biodiversity by providing habitat for vital fauna on otherwise bare concrete surfaces.

Noise reduction:

With its dense leaf system moss captures sound and reduces noise pollution.

Aesthetically pleasing:

Coordinated moss growth turns bare concrete structures into  beautiful sights.

Biomass production:

Moss produces biomass which is a suitable renewable resource for other products.

Source: Respyre

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Gothenburg – one of the world’s most sustainable cities

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Respyre is a 'Bioreceptive' concrete that can transform dull grey façades into green and living expanses, increasing local biodiversity and providing the many valuable benefits nature can offer society.

Changing dull grey concrete into a green and living respiratory system

Amsterdam-based Respyre - a TU Delft spin-off focusing on the valorisation of a unique scientific cross-over between material science and biology - have developed a concrete and plaster that accommodates the growth of moss on not only new but also existing bare concrete walls. Any surface covered in moss becomes a natural respiratory system for the city; holding up to 5 litres of water per square metre to keep buildings cool, and sequestering C02 from the air.

Moss is perfect for green facades as it has rhizoids instead of roots. As opposed to roots, Rhizoids are nondestructive, leaving the façade in perfect condition with very little maintenance. It creates a space for insects stimulating biodiversity in cities. The moss also helps solve air- and noise pollution, contributing to the well-being of an urban environment and its inhabitants... and it looks fantastic!

The Power of Moss

The unique characteristics of moss make it incredibly suited for green façades. With rhizoids instead of roots moss is non-invasive to the façade and with its dense leaf system it provides many wonderful benefits to the urban environment:

Moss converts CO2 to oxygen and absorbs and removes other pollutants such as PM10, VOCs, NOx, and NH3, from water and air.

Moss can absorb and retain large amounts of water in its leaf system.

Through evapotranspiration and shielding of the surface from sunlight moss attributes to cooling of the structure.

Moss increases local biodiversity by providing habitat for vital fauna on otherwise bare concrete surfaces.

With its dense leaf system moss captures sound and reduces noise pollution.

Coordinated moss growth turns bare concrete structures into beautiful sights.

Moss produces biomass which is a suitable renewable resource for other products.
Source: Respyre
The project is a potential 'game changer' because of its scaling potential

To develop a climate-proof and livable environment we need to integrate more green in the design of cities. Concrete is a common building material in cities and for this purpose a bioreceptive concrete is being developed and tested at Marineterrein Amsterdam*. The aim is to apply this concrete as a layer on existing but otherwise bare concrete surfaces. By doing so these bare surfaces will over time be transformed into moss overgrown 'living' surfaces.

Several unique characteristics of Respyre's concrete make it bio-receptive which include its porosity and water retainment, micropore texture, acidity and nutrients that are included in the mixture. These characteristics create the perfect setting for moss to thrive on.

Moss is incredibly well suited for green facades as moss has rhizoids instead of roots. Roots are very invasive and demand a lot from the substance they grow from. Rhizoids are nondestructive, they mainly function as an adhesive, leaving the façade in perfect condition.

The main reason why certain types of concrete support spontaneous and abundant growth of moss are that these are relatively porous resulting in a high moisture retaining capacity which improves its bio-receptivity towards moss growth. At the Delft University of Technology, a specific high-moisture absorbing- and retaining and moss receptive concrete has therefore recently been developed.

Respyre started with the proof of concept from stage one. Applying the concrete layers that allows for moss growth on the existing buildings will create more green environment. Hereby, the environment will benefits from natural capital (ecosystem services provided by a thick layer of moss) which is spontaneous, virtually maintenance-free and therefore very cost-effective for the owner or manager.

The project is a potential 'game changer' because of its scaling potential. If the potential benefits bio-receptive concrete proofs to be effective, imagine the impact this could have on the built living environment.

*This experiment is a collaboration between Respyre, AMS Institute, WUR and TU Delft.
Source: living-lab.nl
Moss is boss: what's not to like?

A - Quick and Easy: Cost-effective solution within months

B - Self-sustaining: Moss systems require minimal maintenance

C - Climate positive: Minimising carbon costs while maximising its absorption

D - Beautiful: Aesthetically pleasing and graffiti resistant

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THE POWER OF MOSS: BIO-RECEPTIVE CONCRETE CAN HELP CITIES BREATHE AGAIN

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Respyre is a 'Bioreceptive' concrete that can transform dull grey façades into green and living expanses, increasing local biodiversity and providing the many valuable benefits nature can offer society.

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How cities will feed their citizens in the future

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Singapore has a limited space (just 728.6km²) for its large ad dense population (5.97 million).

Until recent years, Singapore has been dependent on its neighbours for imports of food supplies to feed its growing population. 90% of Singapore's food comes from abroad and only 1% of land is used for conventional agriculture.

Closed borders during Covid lockdowns put increased pressure on this supply, highlighted Singapore's vulnerability and increased efforts to provide enough food internally and to guarantee Singapore's food security.

Singapore is aiming to produce 30% of its own food by 2030, currently it is producing around 10%.

To achieve this, emphasis has been put on citizens to help grow what they can.

Growing food in urban farms on carpark rooftops or reused outdoor spaces and retrofitted building interiors is key to the '30 by 30' goal.

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Rooftops and vertical wall spaces are used for aqua farms (hydroponics).

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Rooftops and vertical wall spaces are used for aqua farms (hydroponics).

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Singapore

Urban farming is an excellent way to use space for agriculture. Image: Reuters/Loriene Perera

Multimedia reporter, Quartz Things team

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3 ways Singapore's urban farms are improving food security

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Singapore Urban farming is an excellent way to use space for agriculture. Image: Reuters/Loriene Perera Multimedia reporter, Quartz Things team Stay up to date: Singapore Follow Don't miss any update on this topic Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

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Whilst these modern techniques sound very positive, they are also faced with their own special challenges.

Hydroponics: still requires fresh water for growth.
Internal vertical farms: require water and electricity.
Fish farms: are subject to tidal surges and pollution.
External rooftop and vertical farms: are at risk of high winds during potential tropical cyclones.

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In 1812 just 2% of the global population (approx. 1 billion people) lived in urban areas.

In 2023 around 50% of the global population (approx. 8 billion people) live in urban areas.

Cities are noisy, dirty, over-populated and polluted.

Extreme wealth and extreme poverty live side-by-side.

Global warming, reduced fossil fuels and a continually rising population, mean we need to rethink our urban model.

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The goal of an eco-city is to reduce the city's impact on our environment.

The main challenges are:
- growth of population centres
- energy consumption
- recycling
- the new urban landscape
- social diversity

We need to:
- transform the buildings we live in
- change our modes of transport
- implement new ways of supplying electricity

WATCH the video above from 1:39 to get some ideas on how to develop energy efficient buildings and transport.

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Copenhagen has major climate ambitions and aims to be the first carbon neutral capital in 2025.

Emissions Reduction Target

Carbon Neutral Heat Target

Copenhagen has major climate ambitions, and aims to be the first carbon neutral capital in 2025. The population of Copenhagen is expected to grow by 20 % in the next decade, and Copenhagen want to show that it is possible to combine growth, development and increased quality of life with the reduction of CO2 emissions. To pursue that goal the City Council adopted the ambitious CPH 2025 climate Plan in 2012. The CPH Climate Plan 2025 is based on four pillars:

Energy Consumption

Energy Production

Mobility

City Administration Initiatives.

Energy consumption will only account for 7 pct. of the total CO2 reduction, but from an overall economic perspective, energy savings are the cheapest way to cut emissions. Partnerships with private building owners and businesses are key to reach saving goals. The production of electricity and heat for Copenhageners is currently the biggest source of CO2 emissions and it is absolutely critical that coal, oil and natural gas are replaced by renewable energy. Efforts in this pillar will account for 80 pct. of the total reduction in 2025, and we are well underway: a new biomass fueled combined heat and power plant will open in 2019 and several more wind turbines are under way. Getting around Copenhagen should be easy, healthy and efficient. Most of the CO2 emissions from transport come from road traffic, and this makes restructuring of road transport a necessary component to cut emissions. In 2025 at least 75 pct. of all trips must be done by foot, by bike or by public transport. One large challenge is to make a much faster change to vehicles driven by electricity, hydrogen and biogas. The work put in by the city administration may only represent 5 pct. of the total CO2 reduction but it has huge significance as a source of inspiration for others. Leading the way in cutting energy use and running vehicles powered by alternative fuels enhances the City of Copenhagen's credibility.

The Roadmap describes the status of the four pillars of the Climate Plan, based on the plan's 18 launched actions and indicates what is required to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2025.

City of Cyclists - Copenhagen

Emissions vs. Population Growth

Copenhagen's Energy System

Bicyclists

Troels Heien, City of Copenhagen

Copenhagen assumes its share of the responsibility for climate change with the CPH 2025 Climate Plan. We want to show that it is possible to combine growth, development and increased quality of life with the reduction of CO2 emissions. It is all about finding solutions that are smarter, greener, healthier and more profitable. And by 2025 we will be able to call ourselves the world's first carbon neutral capital.

Copenhagen Green Growth

In Copenhagen, we consider population growth and climate change as possibilities of creating new sustainable solutions, whilst also creating a better city for the Copenhageners.

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Copenhagen has major climate ambitions and aims to be the first carbon neutral capital in 2025. Emissions Reduction Target Carbon Neutral Heat Target Copenhagen has major climate ambitions, and aims to be the first carbon neutral capital in 2025.

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Hamburg  - removing the roads and reintroducing the park

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Hamburg  - removing the roads and reintroducing the park

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Hamburg is burying the Autobahn and putting parks on top

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The main goal: eliminating noise pollution.

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The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that each year 2.4 million premature deaths
from outdoor air pollution could be avoided.

The social costs of transport include road
crashes, air pollution, physical inactivity, time taken away from the family while commuting and vulnerability to fuel price increases. Many of these negative impacts fall
disproportionately on those social groups who are also least likely to own and
drive cars.

Traffic congestion imposes economic costs by wasting people's time and
by slowing the delivery of goods and services. Traditional transport planning aims to improve mobility,
especially for vehicles, and may fail to adequately consider wider impacts. But
the real purpose of transport is access – to work, education, goods and
services, friends and family – and there are proven techniques to improve access
while simultaneously reducing environmental and social impacts, and managing traffic congestion.

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Green island in the city with building greening - World Green Infrastructure Network

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The completion of Kö-Bogen II marks the end of a comprehensive urban redevelopment in the centre of Düsseldorf.

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Building a highway in a city is often thought of as a solution to traffic congestion. However, the induced demand theory has shown that when drivers have more routes, they choose to continue using this medium instead of using public transport or a bicycle, and as a result, congestion doesn't decrease.

As a result, some cities have chosen to remove spaces designated for cars and turn what was once a highway into urban parks and less congested streets.

Here we have six examples, some have already been completed, while a few are still under construction. To the surprise of some, most of the projects are in the US, which reflects that American designers are looking into further studying European transport policies.
Harbor Drive, Portland - USA
One of the first highways in the US to be eliminated to make way for a park was Portland, Oregon's Harbor Drive built on the shore of the Willamette River. In 1974 the transformation work began that gave rise to Tom McCall Park.

The Hawthorne Bridge, which was originally part of the freeway, became a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, connecting First Avenue with the park.
Cheonggyecheon, Seoul - South Korea
The Cheonggyecheon elevated highway in Seoul was built on a canal of the same name. In order to deal with environmental pollution and the noise generated by the more than 160,000 vehicles using the highway daily, Mayor Lee Myung Bak launched a plan to demolish it and build a park instead.

The selected proposal was designed by Kee Yeon Hwang, who wanted to clean up the canal and return it to its role as a meeting place. In addition, the recovery of this public space has reduced noise levels and temperature in the surrounding area.
Pier Freeway, San Francisco
In the early 1980s in San Francisco, a plan began to demolish the California 480 highway with the idea of building a park instead. However, it wasn't until 1991 that the two-story motorway was demolished - after being damaged by the 1989 earthquake. Studies concluded that rebuilding the freeway was much more expensive than making a park.

Today the place has one of the best views of San Francisco Bay and has many miles of pedestrian and bicycle paths.

Madrid Río, Madrid

In the year 2000, the Madrid Río project was started, which sought to restore the banks of the Manzares River. A difficult task thanks to the stretches of the M-30 highway that crossed it.

As there were several historic structures involved, like the Puente de Segovia, the oldest bridge in the city, the Ermita Virgen del Puerto and Puente del Rey, the project carried out the restoration while maintaining these aspects of the city's history in the middle of the park. In addition, the Puerta del Rey, a building dating back to the reign of José Bonaparte, was able to return to its original location, since it had been displaced during the construction of the motorway.

The park opened in 2011, offering citizens spaces for sports, walks, and opportunities to learn about the city's history. In this instance, the motorway was not completely demolished, but traffic was diverted by underground tunnels.

Park East Freeway, Milwaukee

In the 1960s, a project in the works would see the downtown area surrounded by the Park East Freeway. However, nearby residents began to oppose it, arguing that the project would cause too much noise. For this reason, the highway was never completed and certain parts were demolished between 1999 and 2002 for the development of the Park East Corridor project which, when finished, will allow free access from the city center to the river.

In total, the new park is 60 hectares, 24 of which were allocated to new buildings to revitalize the area. So far, the northern part of the park is the one that shows the greatest advances through the remodeling of the main avenues that connect with downtown.

Alaskan Way, Seattle

In 2001 an earthquake damaged the overpass of the Alaska Freeway in Seattle. Initially, the plan was to rebuild it, however, it was later decided to make a four lane underground tunnel so that on the surface the areas along Elliot Bay join with the rest of the city through a new pedestrian space. The inauguration of the park is scheduled for next year.

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6 Cities That Have Transformed Their Highways Into Urban Parks

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Building a highway in a city is often thought of as a solution to traffic congestion. However, the induced demand theory has shown that when drivers have more routes, they choose to continue using this medium instead of using public transport or a bicycle, and as a result, congestion doesn't decrease.

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City living has many upsides, but a sustainable lifestyle is increasingly not among them. Pollution, traffic and loss of green spaces are just some of the daily trials that city-dwellers have to deal with.

Step forward the inventors. We consider 10 of the wackier solutions to making our cities more liveable.
Making water from air: a collaboration between engineers and marketeers
Today's cities sometimes look like they're built more for cars than people. The pop-up park is a simple idea. Take an empty parking lot, a pocketful of change and a pot plant or two, and make yourself your own private park. The PARK(ing) project kicked off as an arts experiment in San Francisco a decade ago and has since spread across the world. Temporary urban farms and ecology demos are just some of the ideas to have emerged out of the movement, which celebrates a day of action every September.

Subterranean storage

Not all urban dwellers are hooked to the car. Bikes are ever more in vogue. The question is: where to keep it safe? Tokyo-based engineering firm Giken Seisakusho has come up with a concept for a solution: an "eco-cycle, anti-seismic underground bicycle park ". At just seven metres wide, the cylindrical storage facility buries deep enough into the ground to house 204 bikes. Owners can retrieve their bike at the touch of a button, with the automated system delivering it back above ground in around 13 seconds.

Glow in the dark trees

When most people think of trees that glow in the dark, Christmas baubles and fallen pine needles usually come to mind. Not Daan Roosegaarde. The Dutch designer/artist has comes up with a "bioluminescent" plant. The experimental technology splices DNA from luminescent marine bacteria with the chloroplast genome of a plant to create a jellyfish-type glow. Trials are underway to create an industrial-scale version of the biomimicry-inspired technology that Roosegaarde hopes could one day replace conventional street lighting.

Footfall harvesting

Every day, hundreds of commuters and shoppers in the east London neighbourhood of West Ham cross the elevated pedestrian walkway close to the underground station. Few probably notice the springiness beneath their feet. Fewer still connect that five-millimetre flex in the rubber surface to the powering of the streetlights above. The paved flooring is decked with smart tiles that capture the kinetic energy from pedestrians' footsteps and convert it into electricity. Pavegen, the UK firm behind the innovation, has installed a similar system at London's Heathrow airport, among other international locations.

Supertrees

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Photograph: Gardens by the Bay

It had to happen eventually: man-made trees. Singapore's Gardens by the Bay has a small copse of them. Up to 50 metres high, these steel-framed 'supertrees' not only have flowers and ferns growing up them, but their metallic canopies act to absorb and disperse heat too. They're equipped to harvest rainwater too, as well as provide air ventilation for two "climate-controlled biomes" (large conservatories, in other words) below. 11 of the 18 trees also boast solar panels along their 'branches'.

Water-producing billboard

We live in a consumer world. And so we don't forget it, advertisers wallpaper our cities and highways with banks of billboards. Researchers at Lima's University of Engineering and Technology have come up with a billboard with a difference. Using a system of condensers and filters, it traps the humidity in the air and extracts the water vapour to produce around 96 litres of drinking water a day. The public can help themselves to it for free.

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Photograph: Biotecture

Neo-walled gardens

Gardens stopped being just the preserve of people's front lawns long ago. For a while, garden roofs were all the rage. Now, it's all about walls. Drawing on advances in hydroponics, the facades of a growing number of libraries and offices, shops and hotels, are bursting into flower. One of the firms at the forefront of the "living wall" boom is UK-based firm Biotecture. The company's "vertical gardens" can also be seen gracing the Taj Hotel in central London and the exit wall of Edgware Road Tube Station, among other locations. Aesthetics aside, green walls are credited with reducing air pollution and improving air quality.

Algae-powered building

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Photograph: Arup Deutschland GmbH, Colt International GmbH and SSC GmbH

To prove the dynamism of the "living wall" concept, look no further than Hamburg's International Building Exhibition. Instead of sweet-smelling flowers, the south-facing facades of the zero-carbon apartment complex are laced with green-tinged algae. The walls' external fabric includes a "bio-skin" of hollow grass panels on which the algae photosynthesises and grows. Periodically, the algae is harvested from the walls and fermented in a biogas plant to produce electricity.

Smart rubbish bins

Cities are businesses' best allies in the battle against climate change

Forget gas-guzzling dumper trucks and smelly skips. City authorities around the world are now turning to solar-powered "trash compactors" to keep litter off the streets. The 150-gallon capacity rubbish bins are equipped with a motor that pushes down the rubbish when it nears the top. The motor is powered by solar panels embedded in the lid. The newest Bigbelly bins include a wireless monitoring system that notifies rubbish collectors when the bins are full.

Spray paint

Finally, desperate times may sometimes call for desperate measures. That's clearly what was going through the mind of authorities in Chengdu, one of China's fastest-growing cities. To brighten up the place, the municipal landscaping department has taken to spraying the yellowing grass green. Use of the non-toxic green spray has now spread to Tianjin and a host of other cities in China's north-west.
The human cities hub is funded by AkzoNobel. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled "brought to you by". Find out Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox.. Topics

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Ten quirky ideas for making our cities more sustainable

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City living has many upsides, but a sustainable lifestyle is increasingly not among them. Pollution, traffic and loss of green spaces are just some of the daily trials that city-dwellers have to deal with. Step forward the inventors. We consider 10 of the wackier solutions to making our cities more liveable.

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Rainwater harvesting is a technique which prevents rainwater to run off.

Instead, the water is collected and stored, so it can be used by vegetation, animals or people.

Rainwater harvesting is mostly performed in arid or semi-arid climates, since these areas have low water contents in the soil. This causes water shortage for humans, animals and plants. There are two different ways by which rainwater can be harvested. The first one is to apply soil management strategies which enable direct capture of the rainwater within the soil. This prevents the water from running off and enhances the infiltration into the soil. It is also possible to harvest the rain on one place and store it at another. For example, capturing the rainwater from a rooftop and store it within a cistern. This water is mostly used for watering crops or drinking.

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Rainwater harvesting | What is rainwater harvesting? | Justdiggit

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Rainwater harvesting is a technique which prevents rainwater to run off. Instead, the water is collected and stored, so it can be used by vegetation, animals or people. Rainwater harvesting is mostly performed in arid or semi-arid climates, since these areas have low water contents in the soil.

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How This City Removed A 12 Lane Motorway To Restore It's Ancient Canal Built By The Moors

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Removing a motorway to bring back the original waterway [445]

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MAARTENSDIJK, Netherlands (AP) - Authorities in a central Dutch province opened what they are billing as the world's longest solar bicycle path Wednesday, mixing sustainable energy with emission-free travel.

Students from a local elementary school were the first to ride along the 330-meter-long (360-yard) path located in the village of Maartensdijk, near Utrecht. It is made up of blocks of prefabricated concrete topped with a thin transparent layer that protects and allows sunlight to hit solar cells encased in the blocks.

The pilot project is aimed at establishing if such dual-use roads can be more widely used to create solar energy and serve cyclists as the province of Utrecht seeks to slash its carbon emissions.

"It's very important. We want to be climate-neutral in 2040, and then you have to dare to use innovation, and this is very innovative," Arne Schaddelee, a provincial official, said. "We have a very full province with not much room, and for that reason you have to try dual use. So if you can use roads to generate energy, you have a double advantage."

The solar cycle path was launched on the day the European Union unveiled sweeping new legislation to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade, including a controversial plan to tax foreign companies for the pollution they cause.

Solar bike lanes are already in use elsewhere in the Netherlands. The path opened Wednesday is the longest yet developed, Utrecht province officials said.

One of the first young cyclists to put it to the test, 11-year-old Machiel van Leeuwen, approved.

"It's better for the environment, and I prefer to have solar panels in the bike path than in fields," he said.

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Road to future: Dutch province unveils solar bicycle path

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MAARTENSDIJK, Netherlands (AP) - Authorities in a central Dutch province opened what they are billing as the world's longest solar bicycle path Wednesday, mixing sustainable energy with emission-free travel. Students from a local elementary school were the first to ride along the 330-meter-long (360-yard) path located in the village of Maartensdijk, near Utrecht.

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How NYC flooding is being solved with Green Infrastructure

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How Mexico City is turning into a farmland Oasis - GREENING THE CITY PROJECT