Promoting Vertical Greening in High-rise Residential Buildings within Urban Areas

Abstract

Same as many urban cites, Hong Kong is a densely populated area. To improve the residential environment, increase greenery coverage is a viable and economical solution. Despite the widespread interest in the application of vertical greenery, little application has been observed in residential developments in Hong Kong. Most research in vertical greenery focuses on the benefits and technical issues of the system. This study aims to identify the effective strategies to foster vertical greenery implementation in Hong Kong. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 60 architectural practices. Survey results indicate that the industry agrees on the benefits of vertical greening. While the high initial and maintenance cost was identified as a major obstacle to green wall implementation, several public policies were suggested to promote vertical greenery, including financial support from the government for the installation, provision of gross floor area concession, mandatory green wall installation in new buildings and funding support in related researches. The study contributes to a relatively sparse body of literature by investigating possible strategies to foster vertical greenery in an urban city. The findings shed light on the underlying problems and provide ideas on the promotion of vertical greening in Hong Kong and other urban areas.