Via Verde

Good News Good Planet

For more delicious news, go to www.GoodNewsGoodPlanet.com, and scroll to bottom for more ways to find the feel good stuff!* “Via Verde” While there are multiple ways to combat air pollution, some ways just aren’t as feasible, especially when trying to combat it in one of the world’s most congested cities. Mexico City, populated by almost 9 million people, has gotten innovative and greener at the same time. In 2017, A Change.org petition was started to gauge if the public would support the “Via Verde” or “Green Way”. It was developed by Fernando Ortiz Monasterio from the firm “Verde Vertical". The project received an unprecedented level of support by gaining 80,000 signatures in just one week. Though also approved by the government, this project is unique for its scale as it is all privately funded. A group of eligible Corporations came together to invest a whopping $15.1 Million into this environmentally and life-changing endeavor. Via Verde uses the concept of vertical gardening to transform their highway pillars into air-cleansing and people-pleasing monoliths. Covering over 1000 gray concrete columns, these hanging gardens use plants that are resistant to the elements; have low water consumption and air cleansing properties. The highway pillars are first covered in prefabricated panels, which still allow the pillars to be serviced. The plants are watered naturally by the rain as well as by a monitored, automated, and a remote controlled micro-spraying system, which only employs treated and reclaimed rainwater. This is win-win enterprise on multiple levels. The special felt for the seedlings is made from recycled plastic bottles, and this venture enlists inmates at two of the cities prisons as part of a work-experience rehabilitation program. Via Verde has also created hundreds of jobs through the projects’ design, installation, and maintenance. In Mexico City, bringing nature back is helping clear the air while at the same time, creating a more beautiful and mentally peaceful urban commute. #### *Hungry for more of the Good Stuff? Search "Good News Good Planet" on YouTube, Instagram, Patreon, Alexa and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.