Mexico City, internationally known for its high levels of pollution and endless traffic jams, is developing a project to modify the look of hundreds of pillars supporting elevated roads with vertical gardens that will help to improve the urban image of the city, decrease pollution levels and reduce stress of motorists.
The project, called “Via Verde” or Greenway, is driven by civil associations and is supported by the local government and corporate sponsors.
The idea is to cover the columns, supporting the second floor of some of the busiest thoroughfares of the city, with green walls packed with different plant species, which will have an automated irrigation system fed by rainwater.
Architect Fernando Ortiz Monasterio, who came up with the project and who is one of its main promoters, argues that the green walls will help generate oxygen and absorb pollutants, in addition to moderating noise caused by traffic.
The green walls, added to concrete structures, have been placed on metal racks that avoid damage to the concrete structure. They can be opened up to check the columns are in good condition.
In this past March, Mexico City’s government ordered traffic restrictions and recommended people stay indoors due to serious air pollution, issuing its second-highest alert warning for ozone levels for the first time in 13 years. — UNTV News & Rescue
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