Green Wall Brings Nature Indoors with AI-Powered Cities

As heat waves intensify, people's daily lives are shifting indoors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their time indoors. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), every year from 2015 to 2025 has been recorded among the hottest since observations began.

Cities are responding in kind. Barcelona, Spain designated public facilities such as libraries, museums, and schools as 'climate shelters' for escaping extreme heat, operating more than 500 of them this summer. Indoor ski slopes have been running in Dubai shopping malls since 2005.

In South Korea as well, large-scale indoor city developments incorporating greenery are underway. Seoul's Yongsan International Business District is planned as a vertical city containing roughly 500,000㎡ of green space—equivalent to 100% of the site area—spanning from underground to the sky. Beneath Yeongdong-daero in Gangnam, Korea's largest underground city, 30 times the size of Jamsil Baseball Stadium, is being built, designed from the master planning stage to bring sunlight and fresh air down into the underground space.

At 'It's Nature' on Yonsei University's Songdo Global Campus, AVING News met with Kim Young-joo, CEO of plant interior (phyto-decor) specialist TNGLAB. Kim stated, "Our goal is to bring nature into the indoor spaces where all of life takes place," and unveiled his vision of combining AI (artificial intelligence) with the 'Green Wall,' where plants cover entire wall surfaces, to expand it into urban infrastructure.

"World-class indoor cities are being built in Korea using cutting-edge methods, embracing nature," said Kim, assessing this domestic development trend as the greatest opportunity for the Green Wall industry. Since it aligns closely with his vision of a Green Wall platform that brings nature indoors, the related business efforts are drawing attention.