Skyscrapers, generally considered as large energy and resource consumers, can be designed for ecological amelioration, as seen in Kenneth Yeang's work.
Japan introduces urban vegetable gardens in train stations. Courtesy of popupcity.net
Such projects are examples of how to cultivate different plant species for human consumption or not in other ways than growing directly on the ground. Although vertical greenery can assume different configurations depending on the structure, the species, and the context in which it is inserted, all these solutions have in common the optimization of open green spaces even though occupying as little horizontal space as possible. In this sense, the impacts of plants on cities, which are already widely acknowledged, take on a new dimension through verticality. These alternative cultivation methods are used to reduce heat islands, increase biodiversity, promote food security, improve air quality, reduce CO2 emissions, among many other positive effects.