1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Tirana (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Pylli Vertikal i Tiranës Short description of the intervention The Tirana Vertical Forest is part of the city's 2030 Master Plan and aims to enhance urban biodiversity and create green spaces through innovative urban design (Ref. 1,2). The project was developed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, the same studio that has designed similar, well-known structures in cities like Milan, Utrecht and Nanjing (Ref. 6). The completion of the 21-floor building is expected in late 2024 and will feature 105 apartments and a commercial ground floor as well as 145 trees and over 3,200 shrubs and bushes which are integrated into the balconies and façade of the project (Ref. 1,2,3). Various Mediterranean plants have been incorporated, including colourful, scented and aromatic types, which harmonize with the local ecosystem. To maximise the space available for green features, a dynamic structure with alternating balconies and full-height windows has been built (Ref. 1,2). Ultimately, the project anticipates improving air quality, reducing noise, and providing insulation. The greenery is expected to capture fine particulate matter and up to 8 tones of Co2 per year while also creating a healthier microclimate for those inside the building (Ref. 1,6). Website of the intervention https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/tirana-vertical-forest/ Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Air pollution Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Rruga Dervish Hima 1010 Tirana Albania Location The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by). Area boundary (map-based) Total area 5000.00m² NBS area 550.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Central Business District / City Centre Building Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2017 Start date of intervention (implementation process) unknown End date of the intervention 2024 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Goal 1: Developing real estate that incorporates space-efficient urban greening, i.e. limiting land use in the metropolitan areas while increasing green space areas. (Ref. 1,2) Goal 2: Improve local air quality and reduce noise exposure. (Ref. 1,2,3) Goal 3: Establish new spaces for urban ecosystems to enhance the city’s native biodiversity. (Ref.1) Goal 4: Create microclimates that improve health and well-being in the face of climate change (Ref. 1,2,3) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Environmental quality Air quality improvement Noise reduction Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Regeneration, land-use and urban development Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development Health and well-being (SDG 3) Improving physical health Economic development and employment (SDG 8) Real estate development Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities - Design the building and balconies in such a way that tall trees can be planted, i.e. by rotating balconies in opposite directions (Ref. 1) - Develop customized technical building solutions to effectively support the building envelope, taking into account its unique features, such as overhang and floor arrangement. (Ref. 2) - Select plants that can be incorporated into the building and enhance local biodiversity. (Ref. 1) Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of green roofs and walls 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Nature on buildings (external) Green walls or facades Balcony greens Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Olfactory elements (e.g., floral scents, earthy smells) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Air quality regulation Noise reduction Carbon storage/sequestration Mediation of smell / noise / visual impacts Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Scale Spatial scale Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area unknown Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Private sector/Corporate/Business Primary Beneficiaries Private sector/Corporate/Company Other Please specify "other primary beneficiary" Future Residents and workers inside the building Specify primary beneficiaries "with positive benefits for environmental well-being inside the homes."(Ref. 1) "will be populated by 105 apartment units above a primarily commercial ground floor." (Ref.2) Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Led by non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative "Project architect: Stefano Boeri ArchitettiPartner: Stefano Boeri Project director: Francesca Cesa Bianchi Project leader: Paolo Russo Team: Daniele Barillari, Jacopo Colatarci, Elisa Versari, Andrea Zucchi Botanic consultant: Studio Laura Gatti Engineering consultant: SCE Project MEP consultant: ESA engineering Executive design: SCE Project Structural engineer: LEAL-CSE Hydraulic system design: Artan Dersha Mechanical system design: Gener 2, Diana Brahaj Electrical system design: Zavalani Consulting Fire protection system design: Artan Dersha Client and local architect: Gener 2" (Ref. 3) Key actors - initiating organization Private sector/corporate actor/company Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Private sector/corporate actor/company Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Unknown Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Real estate developer Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy No NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan No NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" The Conceptual Plan “Tirana 2030” will provide guidelines for the development of the Albanian capital’s metropolitan area for the Ministry of Urban Development and the Municipality of Tirana. It is developed by an" international team of architects, urbanists, engineers and geologists guided by Stefano Boeri Architetti and UnLab with the scientific coordination of Lorenza Baroncelli, Michele Brunello, Francesca Cesa Bianchi and Andreas Faoro and also with the contribution of the Dutch studio IND, and a group of technicians and administrative personnel from the municipality of Tirana led by the architect Joni Baboci" (Ref. 4) Relevant strategy or plan Urban redevelopment plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Support from transitional governance actors Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Tirana 2030 is developed by an international team of architects, urbanists, engineers and geologists guided by Stefano Boeri Architetti and UnLab with the scientific coordination of Lorenza Baroncelli, Michele Brunello, Francesca Cesa Bianchi and Andreas Faoro and also with the contribution of the Dutch studio IND, and a group of technicians and administrative personnel from the municipality of Tirana led by the architect Joni Baboci (Ref. 4) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers unknown Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Other Please specify other source of funding Real Estate Developer Type of fund(s) used Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Non-financial contribution No Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities No Business models Business models Green densification model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Lowered local temperature Expected lowered local temperature Enhanced carbon sequestration Expected enhanced carbon sequestration Energy efficiency improvements Expected energy efficiency improvements Environmental quality Improved air quality Expected improved air quality Reduced noise exposure Expected reduced noise exposure Green space and habitat Increased green space area Expected increased green space area Reduced biodiversity loss Expected reduced biodiversity loss Increased number of species present Expected increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits -Lowered local temperature: " [...] the creation of microclimates with positive benefits for environmental well-being inside the homes." (Ref.1) -Enhanced carbon sequestration: " The absorption of CO2 and fine particulate matter by the plants " (Ref. 1) , "Tirana Vertical Forest facilitates the absorption of approximately eight tons of carbon dioxide per year" (Ref. 6), "This facade is designed to absorb 5.4 tonnes of CO2 annually" (Ref. 2) -Improved air quality: " [...] the plant mass that will have a considerable mitigating effect on air pollution." (Ref. 1). -Reduced noise exposure / -Energy efficiency improvements: "[...] optimizes energy efficiency and helps reduce noise levels." (Ref. 6) -Increased green space area: " With a total of over 550 square meters (almost 6,000 square feet) of new green space" (Ref. 2) -Increased number of species present: "which host 3,200 plants and shrubs along with 145 trees" (Ref. 1) -Expected increase in local species: "Tirana Vertical Forest will be home to typical specific plants and trees selected by the botanist and landscape architect Laura Gatti which relate to the specific ecosystem" (Ref. 1) -Reduced biodiversity loss: "increase in local urban biodiversity" (Ref. 1) Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 3345 Green space area created (in ha) 0.055 Carbon storage (kg carbon/m2) 5.4 - 6 tonnes/ year Economic impacts Increased property prices Expected increased property prices Attraction of business and investment Achieved attraction of business and investment Description of economic benefits - Attraction of business and investment: the project is expected to include " a primarily commercial ground floor." (Ref. 2) - Increased property prices: "Further, living in such designs is only economically feasible for a small number of people because as more complex technologies are introduced, construction costs increase as well. " (Ref. 5) Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Expected improved access to urban green space Health and wellbeing Improved physical health Expected improved physical health Cultural heritage and sense of place Improvement in people’s connection to nature Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature Social and cultural impact indicators Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha) 0.055 Description of social and cultural benefits -Improved access to urban green space / -Improve people’s connection to nature: " The building’s façades are floor-to-ceiling glass to dissolve the barrier between inside and outside and strengthen the connection to nature for building inhabitants [...]" . (Ref. 2) -Improved physical health: "The absorption of CO2 and fine particulate matter by the plants located on the three sides is combined with the oxygen they produce to create a considerably healthier microclimate" (Ref. 1) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Unknown Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Unknown Justice Community satisfaction Mixed: Feedback and reports show a combination of positive and negative sentiments regarding satisfaction with the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project The criticism extends to the entire 2030 Tirana development plan drafted by the Italian studio Stefano Boeri Architetti and their partners. For this project specifically, journalists of the Kosovo 2.0 outlet criticise that "such architecture tends to greenwash the trend of concrete construction and social disintegration that affects communities. Further, living in such designs is only economically feasible for a small number of people because as more complex technologies are introduced, construction costs increase as well. Moreover, it individualizes one’s relationship with greenery since it assumes that everyone will have access to it on their balcony, at the expense of a horizontal recreational space in the city where people can also socialize." (Ref. 5) Trade-offs & Negative impacts Social justice and conflicts Limited access to NBS benefits for certain socio-economic groups Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement Unknown High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) Yes Goal setting and impacts delivery No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas. Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts B. Particular population groups have reported unequal distribution of project impacts or dissatisfaction. Reason for unequal distribution of project benefits Due to not adequately targeting existing and known justice or inclusion issues Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on) Magnitude of change Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically Application of lessons learned The NBS contributed to global and national targets for human well-being, climate and biodiversity Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Stefano Boeri Architett (n.d.). Vertical Forest Tirana. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Schires, M. (2019). Stefano Boeri Architetti Creates a Vertical Forest for Tirana 2030 Master Plan. ArchDaily, Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Block, I. (2019). Stefano Boeri designs Tirana Vertical Forest in Albanian capital. dezeen, Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Stefano Boeri Architetti (2016). "Tirana 2030” A vision for the future of a mediterranean capital. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Pllumbi, D. (n.d.). Is Tiranas Rapid Transformation Progress or Erasure. Kosovo 2.0, Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. The Plan (2024). Tirana Vertical Forest Glass, Green and Aluminum for a New Urban Ecosystem. Accessed on September 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Additional insights It is the same studio that designed "Bosco Verticale" in Milan Public Images Image The newly finished vertical forest building in Tirana https://www.theplan.it/eng/architecture/tirana-vertical-forest Image Plan of the vertical forest building https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/tirana-vertical-forest/
Image The newly finished vertical forest building in Tirana https://www.theplan.it/eng/architecture/tirana-vertical-forest
Image Plan of the vertical forest building https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/tirana-vertical-forest/
