What if a city bench (长凳) could provide a place not just to sit but also to breathe a little easier? That is the idea behind CityTree, a 14-foot-high energy-efficient bench covered with moss (苔藓).
CityTree is the invention of Peter Sanger, 29, a gardening expert and the CEO of Green City Solutions. The company seeks to answer a challenging question: How can we bring nature into the city and use its positive effects on the atmosphere at scale?
The idea struck Sanger when he learned about the cleaning effects of various plants, particularly moss, as a university student. "That's what got me excited—finding that the solution to air pollution lies in nature, he says. "After all, nature has millions of years of experience in making air pure (纯净)."
From the outside, the CityTree looks like a bench with a tower covered in moss. But inside is a fully automated system that provides enough water for moss to grow. The built-in IOT(物联网) technology monitors its performance and conditions, as well as providing environmental data from the surrounding area.
According to Green City Solutions, the CityTree improves the air quality around it by up to 53% and can cool the surrounding air by 4℃. The unit can provide a pleasant period of breathable air in places where people tend to stay." Think of a bus stop on a busy street, a street cafe, even an inner-city schoolyard." he says.
However, the CityTree is just the beginning. Its next generation is a slimmer model that contains a digital screen on one side and a moss wall on the other.
