Under construction in Liuzhou, Guangxi Province, China, the world’s first “Forest City” is designed to combat air pollution and climate change by absorbing nearly 10,000 tons of CO2 and 57 tons of pollutants yearly while producing 900 tons of oxygen. Designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, a pro-green development team, this city will be home to approximately 30,000 people. The idea first came to mind after Stefano Boeri Architetti’s Vertical Forest in Milan which consisted of two towers containing five acres of forest. Architects of Forest City write, “The diffusion of plants, not only in the parks and gardens or along the streets, but also over building facades, will allow the energy self-sufficient city to contribute to improve the air quality…”
Alongside the Liujiang River in the northern part of Liuzhou, the green city will run on renewable sources like geothermal and solar energy with wired transportation connections for electric cars. It will also have residential areas, two schools, a hospital, and more recreational spaces.
Firm principal Stefano Boeri said on the phone from Milan, “(This is) the first experiment of the urban environment that’s really trying to find a balance with nature… We’ve seen what’s happening in Beijing and Shanghai, but at the same time, China has to create to cities” to accommodate the population, he said. The project was commissioned by Liuzhou Municipality Urban Planning and construction is set to start in 2020. With the help of nearly 1 million plants and 40,000 trees, Forest City will decrease average air temperature, create noise barriers, increase biodiversity of the region, generate habitats, and improve local air quality. Despite the extensive research and planning for the project, Boeri remains confident and believes that “bringing forests into the city is a way to reduce climate change.” If Forest City succeeds, it will be an inspirational design for an eco-friendly movement in urban architecture.
