Milan is set to become a little greener thanks to a 27-story forest currently under construction.
The vertical forest or Bosco Verticale is the brainchild of architect Stefano Boeri who explained that the garden towers were inspired by old Italian architecture covered in ivy.
The urban greenscape comes at a time of rising pollution levels that have forced Milan to declare car bans in the city centre on certain days in an effort to reduce smog.
The future buildings will help filter dust particles from the air thanks to an expansive garden made up of over 900 trees, shrubs and plants. If the vertical forests were flattened, the resulting forest would cover over 10,000 square meters.
The greenery will also save residents money on their heating and cooling bills. The plant life on each balcony will block the suns rays in the summer and allow light to filter through in the winter when the trees shed their leaves.
Boeri's project is part of a wider environmental/political movement called BioMilan.
When complete, the Milan towers will be the first vertical forests in the world.
