Canada identifies with living walls

everGREEN landscape architects in Santa Barbara has been lecturing around Southern California, encouraging local governement to incentiv-ise sustainable green roofs and living walls. Good economic, social and environmental reasons include:

• increased property values (including adjacent properties)
• reduced stormwater & flooding
• improved water quality
• reduced air pollution
• reduced noise pollution
• reduced heat island effect (ambient city temperature)
• reduced energy needs due to insulation factor
• reduced HVAC equipment costs
• improved photo voltaic productivity by 6%
• restored habitat (otherwise lost to development)
• local produce grown on the building!
• decreased hospital stays
• improved childrens' test scores
• higher hotel room rates
• reduced worker absenteeism
• increased productivity
• fewer worker's compensation claims

Now Canada will incorporate living walls (vertical gardens) into their 2010 Singapore Expo. Canada has led the way for green roofs of late, and now they are improving upon that with living walls. Together, they make economic sense, strengthen the social fabric of society and improve the environment.