Green Roofs and Vertical Gardens Make This City Cooler

Since Medellin, Colombia, has put its “green corridors” project in place in 2018 to cool public spaces by planting trees, installing green roofs and vertical gardens, the city has seen its temperature drop by 2 degrees Celsius.

“Public space can’t be grey and full of cement,” says Natalia Urrego, Medellin’s infrastructure secretary. “You have to change the concept of public space. We have to live together with nature.”

Colombia’ second largest city may be known as the city of the eternal spring, but temperatures are rising, and to combat this reality, 30 green corridors have been set up across its territory. An interconnected 20-km network provides shades for the citizens. Bike lanes and walkways have also been created through the process. The $16.3-million initiative required the planting of tens of thousands of native trees, topical plants, and bamboo and palms in squares and parks, as well as along sidewalks, busy streets and riverbanks. Medellin’s project earned the 2019 cooling awards from Ashden, a climate solutions charity.