We have all learned at some point in our lives that trees absorb harmful carbon dioxide and give out good oxygen. So, we should plant more trees. But how do we do that in a world getting more and more populous while the real estate prices are skyrocketing? Green City Solutions just might have a rather “fresh” answer to that.
Not a tree, per se, but functions like one
The German startup proposed an innovative solution to solving urban air pollution in some of the metropolitan cities around the world. It’s called the CityTree. The urban tree stands four metres tall by three metres wide, and about two metres deep. While it may not look like an actual tree, it performs very similar functions. It saves a lot of space while doing its wonders.
Compared to 275 normal trees, a city tree is 95% more cost-effective and requires 99% less space on ground. Every CityTree reduces air pollution in the proximity of 50 metres by approximately 30 per cent.
-Dénes Honus, CEO of Green City Solutions
This piece of furniture merges the power of biology and the ease of automated Internet Of Things (IoT) technology. Moss culture densely packs the lateral face of the structure, blending in with it urban surrounding. Just within an area of 3.5 square metres, the CityTree filters the air of fine dust, nitrogen dust oxides and carbon dioxide equivalent to 275 trees. Pretty amazing, right?
Moss cultures have a much larger leaf surface area than any other plant. That means we can capture more pollutants.
-Zhengliang Wu, co-founder of Green City Solutions
Another commendable selling point is the CityTree’s self-sufficient energy system. The intriguing design powers itself through its solar panels. The framework collects rainwater and automatically redistributes it with the help of a built-in irrigation system. Lastly, there is a choice of adding sensors to track the data collected on the CityTree’s performance.
CNN has reported that cities like Oslo, Paris, Brussels and Hong Kong have already installed 20 of these units, with plans to expand to India and Italy. For more information, visit Green City Solutions.
Check out the greenest cities in the world here.
Written By: Sumichhya Gurung