Going up against the heat: Vertical greenery keeps cities cool (opens in new tab)

Climate change and urbanization have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect, where urban areas are significantly warmer than rural areas. This has, in turn, increased the frequency of extreme heat events, such as heat waves, and deteriorated both outdoor environments and indoor thermal conditions in buildings, leading to higher cooling energy demands, greater strain on power grids and an elevated risk of power outages.