Jungle Cities: The Future or Fantasy?

Unveiling the Surprising Upsides and Downsides of Ultra-Green Urban Living

adevarias
5 min readJan 18, 2024

The concept of cities resembling jungles (and we are talking real jungles, not concrete jungles), complete with vegetation and vertical gardens. Picture it in your mind… how does that sound? Personally, I find it a fascinating and forward-thinking idea.

I was hearing a lot of noise about the subject at the beginning of 2024. That being said, this is not a new concept within the Architecture community. While in school this idea seemed both tantalizing and like the obvious choice. Years later I decided to look a bit deeper into it and understand what that would truly entail from a conceptual standpoint. Is it plausible? Does it cause more problems than solutions? Are there any innovation opportunities? In this article we explore these questions and more.

Provided by author. Created with midjourney. City Inspiration: Amsterdam

Why It’s A Good Idea:

The Air We Breath

Dense vegetation in cities would significantly improve air quality by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen.

Natural Heat Control

The presence of plants and trees can create a natural cooling effect, reducing the urban heat island effect common in concrete-heavy cities.

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adevarias

Architectural designer monthly crafting well-researched articles envisioning the future (and sometimes the past) of the built environment.