Vertical greenery systems for better urban living
Creators: name: Ghazalli, Aini
Publisher: name: The Australian National University
Year: 2023

description: The use of greenery in urban areas has positive effects on the environment and its occupants. Greenery in urban areas has expanded as well to building surfaces such as rooftops and walls. Green roofs and vertical greenery systems (VGSs) have started to receive attention due to the scarcity of available land surface. The use of a VGS offers the benefits of greenery while saving space because of its vertical placement. The flexibility of this system allows VGS to be installed anywhere, indoors or outdoors. In this thesis, I investigate how the use of VGS can offer significant improvements to the environment, specifically in urban areas. Through a thorough literature review, I identify that VGSs provide many positive and validated physical and tangible effects such as improving air quality. However, there have been no studies on VGSs' non-physical or intangible effects-namely, their psychological and physiological effects. Therefore, this study sets out to consolidate knowledge on how VGSs can affect physical, psychological, and physiological health. Quantitative data were collected to compare two parallel corridors-one with and another without an indoor VGS (iVGS). Data were collected and then analyzed to determine the effect the iVGS had on the physical environment, temperature, humidity, and particulate matter count. There was no significant change in temperature between the two corridors before and after installation of the iVGS, but there was a significant difference in the humidity between the control (north) and treatment (south) corridor. Three dust collections taken throughout the experiment showed a decrease in particulate matter from before to after installation of the iVGS. Measuring the non-physical effects of the iVGS was based on a qualitative approach using a self-rating survey using the Short-Version Revised Restoration Scale (SRRS). This survey was distributed online and onsite, enabling a comparison between the two responses. The survey also collected data on opinions and suggestions regarding the iVGS installation using an open-ended question at the end of the survey. Quantitative data were also collected to determine behavioral change pre- and post-installation. These data indicated that the iVGS caused change in the behavior or psychological outcomes of users between the two corridors, with significant changes in movements between both corridors after the installation. The survey results indicated that the iVGS installation had perceived restorative effects for both online and onsite respondents, with the onsite respondents having higher restorative scores compared to online. There is a significant difference between the online and onsite respondents' cognitive and behavior scores. There was also an increase in positive emotions and sense of belonging among users. Further study might explore the intangible impact and expand our knowledge about VGS performance. The many advantages vertical greenery shows that they are compatible with green construction goals. The advantages discussed in this study support the use of VGS as a green retrofit and aid in meeting certification standards for green buildings; nevertheless, the grading tools need to be upgraded to include VGS as part of green buildings. These findings can also assist in achieving Canberra's greening initiative goal. The advantages of VGS documented in this thesis shows that these systems can be seen as important components of living infrastructure. This study provides quantitative and qualitative support on the use of VGS as a tool to improve urban living conditions. The key findings of this study show both tangible and intangible effects of iVGS, indicating that it is an effective solution to the problem of creating enough available space in urban areas. Adding vertical greenery also meets green building rating requirements and improving urban planning, as highlighted in various urban planning guidelines around the world.