Our mission is to transform cities into thriving, green ecosystems that support the well-being of people and the planet by integrating abundant flora into the built environment.

The Problem

Cities might as well be barren planets. One study has estimated that New York City has lost 98% of its original native plant communities due to urban development. And the problem is getting worse. Projections suggest that urban population will witness significant growth over the next 50 years. By 2073, it is expected that around 68% of the world's population, or nearly 7 billion individuals, will be living in urban areas. 

This is unprecedented in human evolution. For most of our history, humans have lived in concert with the natural world—as ranchers, herders, farmers—or in exurban communities with more access to green space than modern cities offer.

The effects of this shift are quite dramatic. Homo sapiens are maladapted to the urban environment. When controlling for income level and access to healthcare, city dwellers are far less healthy than their rural cousins. The WHO estimates that some 91% of urban dwellers breathe polluted air. The incidence of certain diseases is far higher. And many measures of mental health suffer. It should be no surprise that mental health has steadily declined since large, meta-analyses have begun.

A Solution

Introducing more greenery to cities has profound effects. A growing body of research suggests increased exposure to nature can lower stress levels, improve cognitive function, enhance mood, increase creativity, and hasten recovery from illnesses. There are also marked benefits to the climate. Plants and trees reduce the so-called “heat-island effect” of cities, passively cool buildings, absorb rainwater, sequester carbon, and create habitats for insects, bees, and other wildlife.

Most solutions focus on expanding public green space and new construction, replacing existing buildings with newer ones that incorporate greenery into their designs. We believe there is a large, unexplored opportunity to retrofit the existing building stock with living walls, hanging gardens, and other innovative green solutions.

WHAT WE DO

  • Show people what cities can look like. Help them imagine the future.

  • Teach about the health, social, emotional, and environmental benefits of incorporating more flora into our urban landscape.

  • Petition elected officials to pass legislation that incentivizes builders and property owners to add flora to the exteriors of their buildings.

  • Work with private companies to develop technology and products to create scalable solutions.

  • Kickstart neighborhood projects by raising money from donors and crowdsources.

  • Literature and how-tos for people who live in co-ops, condos, or rented spaces about how to advocate for more green walls to be incorporated into their building.

IT’S ABOUT YOU

We need your help.

We’re looking to build a team of writers, artists, engineers, scientists, intellectuals, technologists, and craftsmen working at foundations, institutions, for the government, and in the private sector, to help develop this vision of our shared future.