Concrete Jungles: How Cities Are Bringing Back Greenery

Photo by Mattia Spotti on Unsplash

Walk down a busy city street and you might expect to see towering glass buildings, cars buzzing past, and people rushing from one place to another. What you may not expect is to stumble upon a hidden vertical forest or a rooftop garden where tomatoes and herbs grow above the skyline. Around the world, cities are rethinking how plants can be woven back into daily life, turning hard concrete landscapes into living, breathing ecosystems.

Singapore is often called the greenest city on Earth, and for good reason. Its famous Supertree Grove looks like a scene from science fiction, with massive steel tree-like structures covered in living plants that light up at night. These supertrees are not just beautiful. They collect solar energy, channel rainwater, and even help cool surrounding buildings. As the former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew once said, “A blighted urban landscape is not only ugly, it is a social and economic liability.” The city listened to his vision and transformed itself into a lush, futuristic garden.

New York City has its own success story with the High Line, a park built on an abandoned elevated railway. What could have been demolished and forgotten is now one of the most visited green spaces in the city. Native plants were chosen to echo the wildflowers that had once sprouted between the old train tracks, creating a walkway filled with greenery, art, and stunning views of the skyline. The High Line shows how plants can soften even the hardest of cityscapes, giving locals and tourists alike a chance to pause and breathe.

In Milan, the Bosco Verticale or “Vertical Forest” is a pair of residential towers that look like modern treehouses for grown-ups. Each balcony bursts with shrubs and full-sized trees, more than nine hundred species in total. The architects behind the project wanted to fight air pollution by turning buildings themselves into oxygen factories. Residents wake up to birdsong on their balconies, a rare joy in an urban center. According to architect Stefano Boeri, “Urban forests are not decoration. They are a fundamental tool for fighting climate change.”

Fun fact: plants in cities do more than just look nice. They reduce what scientists call the “urban heat island effect,” which means cities can be several degrees hotter than surrounding rural areas due to all the concrete and asphalt. Trees provide shade, release cooling moisture, and can even lower neighborhood temperatures by up to nine degrees. That is enough to make a difference between a stifling summer day and one that feels bearable.

Some cities are getting creative with green roofs. In Toronto, a bylaw actually requires new buildings of a certain size to include green roofing. These living rooftops are not just for flowers. They reduce stormwater runoff, help insulate buildings, and provide habitats for pollinators like bees and butterflies. What was once wasted space is now an ecological powerhouse high above the streets.

Tokyo has taken things to the next level by encouraging “edible landscapes.” Apartment rooftops grow rice paddies, and some office towers boast rooftop vineyards. These projects connect urbanites with their food sources and bring farming back into daily city life. One Tokyo resident joked that she never thought she would learn how to grow rice in the middle of a skyscraper district, but now she takes her daughter up every weekend to check on their plants.

Even small touches make a difference. Sidewalk tree pits that were once neglected are now planted with herbs and flowers. Bus stops in European and Asian cities are being redesigned with moss-covered roofs to clean the air while people wait for their ride. Community gardens are popping up in unlikely corners, offering fresh produce and a sense of togetherness in neighborhoods that once lacked both.

What ties all of these examples together is a shift in thinking. Cities are no longer treating plants as afterthoughts but as essential infrastructure. A building without greenery now looks incomplete, while one covered in living plants feels futuristic. As the world grapples with pollution and climate change, the urban jungle is slowly becoming a real jungle again.

Photo by Channeling Chic on Unsplash

Next time you visit a new city, look up. You might not only see glass and steel but a cascade of ivy, a canopy of trees, or even a glowing supertree. Nature is reclaiming its place in the heart of the modern city.

There is always room for a little more green!

- Zoé & The Greenhaus Team