Presentation given at the World Green Roof & Green Façade Congress. Basel, Switzerland, June 5-6th of Petra Thorpert from SLU
Living walls are vegetation systems that are particularly well-suited to dense urban environments, and can contribute to multiple ecosystem services that support both human health and animal life. In the context of dense cities, living walls have been promoted as features to improve the amount of vegetation, primarily where space for other type of vegetation is limited. However, studies exploring living walls towards human desire and acceptance in general, have been limited. The aim of this presentation is to provide an insight in the human experience of living walls and to investigate their benefits to wider contextual urban settings. Furthermore, the purpose is to deepen the understanding on the impact of living walls on human attitudes and expectations.
This study applied an inductive reasoning and systematic methodology, with the use of focus group interviews. The purpose is to expose how attitudes and expectations of living walls in urban green settings are confirmed and justified within the age groups: young adult, adult and elderly. The intend of the study was to reveal shared meanings and an intersubjective reality and filling the gap between formal and informal by formulating knowledge about human standpoints and assumptions about living walls in urban green contexts. Consistently, across ages a high percentage of the discussions around planning-related issues of living walls focused on regulatory ecosystem services and supporting ecosystem functions (e.g. biodiversity promotion, climate mitigation and adaption).
The participants often mentioned that design features and visual aesthetics are central parameter for a positive experience of living walls and emphasize that living walls could have a health-promoting effect and might contribute to social interaction among humans. Attitudes and expectations around sustainable maintenance of living walls was particularly present among elderly participants, where descriptions of sustainable maintenance often were used in conjunction with both planning and design related factors. Integration of the results could support planning, design and management processes in ecosystems for green built environments and decision-making. The findings could further develop the understanding of human lived experience and the benefits of living wall systems to human society.