Chris Malloy
All writing

Cities' Answer to Sprawl? Go Wild.

Urban forests, plant-festooned buildings and other 'rewilding' efforts can help bolster climate resilience, biodiversity, even moods

09Bloomberg CityLabInnovation2021

The opening

In a neighborhood of right-angled stone, stucco and brick buildings not far from Milan's central train station, two thin towers stand out. Green and shaggy-edged, they look like they're made of trees. In fact, they're merely covered in trees — hundreds of them, growing up from the towers' staggered balconies.

A scene

Living there was like being inside a tree or a tree house, she says, with a view of greenery, clouds and sky that changed by the hour and season.

Rather than a tangle of wilderness, people tend to prioritize neat garden beds and trimmed lawns — tamed nature.

This is an excerpt. The full story ran in Bloomberg CityLab.

Read the full story at Bloomberg CityLab

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