Optima, a developer based in the dry climate of Arizona no less, has come up with a vertical planting system that has self-contained irrigation and drainage so plants can grow up and over the side of the building. This provides a natural shading system while also creating cleaner air and decreasing the excessive temperatures so common to Arizona. Vertical gardens are one part of their overall greening initiative which aims to be carbon neutral by 2030.

Read the full feature on Forbes