China Is Building a 'Forest City' to Fight Air Pollution

Air pollution is a major issue in China, where a recent study linked nearly one-third of the nation’s deaths to smog. Officials have launched environmental campaigns to combat the problem, but they’re also gleaning inspiration from architects who’ve come up with their own creative solutions.

As Business Insider reports, Italian-based design firm Stefano Boeri Architetti is constructing a “forest city” in southern China. Famous for their plant-covered “Vertical Forest” skyscrapers in Milan, Switzerland, and Nanjing, China, the firm is taking the nature-inspired concept to the city of Liuzhou.

The city's local Municipality Urban Planning department has commissioned a tree and plant-covered neighborhood—complete with houses, hotels, hospitals, and schools—along the Liujiang River. When fully completed, the area is expected to accommodate around 30,000 residents.

The micro-city—which will be connected to Liuzhou by a high-speed train—will contain 40,000 trees and nearly 1 million plants. The greenery will reportedly produce around 900 tons of oxygen each year, while absorbing nearly 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 57 tons of pollutants.

Stefano Boeri Architetti broke ground for the project in June, and it’s slated for completion by 2020. In the meantime, you can check out the design plans for China’s “forest city” below:

[h/t Business Insider]