What do Living-Walls cost?

There are a lot of variables to consider be it indoor or outdoor, edible or ornamental plants. Generally speaking installed system cost approximately $130 - $250 per square foot depending on the quality of the system and the company you work with.

Are Living-Walls worth it?

Wow. There are innumerable benefits, but here are just a few of our favorites: Improved Air Quality- Living walls can filter pollutants and toxins from the air, improving indoor air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Thermal Insulation- Green walls act as natural insulators, helping to regulate indoor temperatures. This can reduce heating and cooling costs by providing an extra layer of insulation. Noise Reduction- The plants and their growing medium can help absorb and deflect sound, making living walls effective at reducing noise pollution in both indoor and outdoor environments. Enhanced Aesthetics- Living walls provide a visually appealing and dynamic element to any space. They can transform dull walls into vibrant, living art pieces, enhancing the overall design and ambiance. Biophilic Design Benefits- Incorporating living walls into spaces aligns with biophilic design principles, which emphasize the human connection to nature. This can improve occupants' well-being, reducing stress and increasing productivity. Increased Property Value- A well-maintained living wall can enhance the appeal and value of a property. It's a unique selling point that differentiates a property from others in the market. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Support- Living walls can support local biodiversity by providing habitats for insects and birds, contributing to the ecological health of urban environments. Sustainability and Environmental Impact- By integrating plants into urban settings, living walls contribute to sustainable building practices, reducing the overall carbon footprint and promoting environmental stewardship. Brand Image and Corporate Responsibility- For businesses, living walls can enhance corporate image by demonstrating a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. This can resonate positively with clients, customers, and employees. Health and Wellness- Exposure to plants and greenery has been shown to improve mental health and well-being. Living walls can create a more pleasant and healthier environment for occupants.

Vertical Greening & Urban Green Infrastructure

Ground · Wall · Roof

One connected system.

Vertical greening expands the idea of urban green infrastructure beyond parks, trees and green roofs. Living walls, planted façades and other vertical landscapes can help municipalities use existing building surfaces to support biodiversity, pollinator habitat, building performance, water strategies and the human experience of public space.

Across the greater Chicago region, communities may have limited opportunities to add new acreage, but they have enormous amounts of existing vertical surface: village halls, libraries, schools, parking structures, field houses, police stations, transit facilities, water infrastructure, courtyards and commercial buildings.

The opportunity: What if we began treating the sides of our buildings as part of the public landscape—not merely as decoration, but as another potential layer of green infrastructure?

Vertical greening as connected urban green infrastructure

Prefer to watch it as delivered, or read it? This deck follows the talk given to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment & Energy Committee on September 15, 2026.

Watch the Recording ↗ Read the Remarks (PDF) ↗

Take this, please. Communities revising their Compact are welcome to lift the language below directly — no credit required, though we won’t say no to one.

For Strategy L30 · Land

“Incorporate vertical greening systems—living walls and green façades—into the community’s sustainable landscaping practices, particularly where ground-level planting area is constrained.”

For Strategy W29 · Water

“Integrate vegetated vertical systems into building water strategies—connecting roof capture, cistern storage and irrigation—as an additional built system supporting stormwater management and water reuse.”

The Network Matters

From isolated green spaces to ecological stepping stones.

A living wall should not be viewed as a substitute for parks, trees, native landscapes or green roofs. Its greatest regional value may come from helping connect those systems.

Research on Chicago green roofs has documented native bees using rooftop habitat and found that bee abundance and species richness increased with greater surrounding green space. The lesson is not that one wall or roof solves biodiversity. It is that the surrounding network matters.

In sequence, planted ground, walls and roofs can become a connected network of ecological stepping stones.

Chicago Green Roof Bee Study →

Biodiversity by Design

Plants on a wall do not automatically equal habitat.

Vertical greening can support pollinator activity and biodiversity, but ecological performance depends on plant selection, flowering availability, site conditions and the relationship between the wall and the landscape around it.

Plant Diversity

Greater plant richness can create more varied forage, structure and seasonal value than a visually uniform palette.

Bloom Succession

A sequence of flowering periods can provide resources across more of the growing season rather than at one moment in time.

Pollinator Forage

Flower availability and species selection influence whether vertical planting provides meaningful resources to insects.

Water

Irrigation and drainage must support plant health without turning a sustainability feature into an unreliable system.

Exposure

Light, wind, heat, winter exposure and reflected conditions determine which plant communities are appropriate.

Connectivity

The strongest opportunity may be where vertical vegetation connects or complements nearby green infrastructure.

Multiple Benefits

Every square foot can do more than one job.

The case for vertical green infrastructure is strongest when a surface contributes to several project objectives at once—not when it is treated as an isolated decorative feature.

Habitat

Diverse planting can add vegetation and potentially expand pollinator resources within heavily built environments.

Shade

Vegetation can shade portions of a building façade and reduce direct solar exposure to exterior surfaces.

Evapotranspiration

Plant and water processes can contribute to localized thermal effects as part of a broader heat-management strategy.

Water Integration

Where technically appropriate, captured water can be considered as part of irrigation strategies connecting roof, wall and ground-level landscapes.

Building Performance

Depending on system design and climate, vertical vegetation may contribute to façade shading and building thermal performance.

Human Experience

Green infrastructure that people can see and experience can make sustainability tangible in civic and community spaces.

Design for Reality

This is Zone 5.

Vertical greening in northeastern Illinois must respond to the same realities as every other successful landscape system: winter, wind, freeze-thaw cycles, summer heat, road salt, variable light, water management and access for maintenance.

January does not care about our design intent.

Long-term performance requires:

✓ Plant material appropriate to exposure and microclimate
✓ Irrigation designed for reliable and serviceable operation
✓ Drainage that anticipates real building conditions
✓ Growing media appropriate to the selected system
✓ Winter, wind and freeze-thaw considerations
✓ Maintenance access designed into the project from the beginning

A sustainable project is not the one that looks great when the ribbon is cut. It is the one still thriving in year ten.

Industry Perspective

"The opportunity is bigger than any single wall system. The real value is in treating vertical surfaces as usable landscape—and designing them to perform over time."

Mark Woolbright · Verdtech / Varden Vertical Gardens

Learn More About Varden Vertical Gardens →

Greenest Region Compact

A simple addition to the regional vocabulary.

The opportunity does not require a new mandate or a new municipal program. It begins by explicitly recognizing vertical surfaces as another place communities may evaluate when planning green infrastructure.

Not a mandate.
A surface worth counting.

Proposed Objective

Expand municipal green-infrastructure planning to consider suitable vertical surfaces as opportunities for ecosystem services, biodiversity, climate resilience and community experience.

Potential Strategies

Evaluate municipal buildings and infrastructure for appropriate vertical-greening opportunities.
Consider vertical vegetation alongside green roofs, urban forestry, native landscapes and stormwater infrastructure.
Encourage biodiversity-sensitive planting emphasizing plant diversity, pollinator forage and seasonal succession.
Explore connections between captured stormwater and vertical irrigation where technically appropriate.
Incorporate lifecycle maintenance and long-term performance criteria into project evaluation.
Identify opportunities to connect ground-level landscapes, vertical vegetation and green roofs into broader ecological networks.

Where This Already Fits

Two existing strategies already reach toward this. Strategy L30 (Land) asks communities to “increase the quality and amount of sustainable landscaping in the community.” Strategy W29 (Water — already an advanced strategy) asks communities to “optimize the use of natural and built systems to manage stormwater.” Neither names vertical surfaces yet. Both already have the room.

Under L30: Evaluate appropriate vertical building surfaces — facades, retaining walls, structured parking — as a form of sustainable landscaping, alongside native plantings and turf-replacement, where design supports habitat value and long-term maintenance access.
Under W29: Where technically appropriate, integrate vegetated vertical systems into broader building water strategies — connecting roof capture, cistern storage and irrigation — as one additional built system supporting stormwater and water-reuse goals.

Greenest Region Compact → View GRC Framework →

Research & Evidence

Building the case from research, not assumption.

Vertical greening is an emerging field with a growing body of research. The strongest approach is to separate what is demonstrated from what is merely possible and design each project around measurable objectives.

Chicago · Pollinators Bee Communities of Chicago Green Roofs, Parks and Prairies

Research documenting native bee use of Chicago green roofs and the relationship between bee communities and surrounding green space.

Vertical Greening · Pollinators Vertical and Horizontal Plantings

Experimental comparison examining pollinator visitation to vertical and horizontal plantings.

Green Walls · Biodiversity Plant Diversity and Flower Cover as Drivers of Pollinator Abundance

Research examining relationships among plant richness, floral cover and pollinator groups in vertical greening systems.

U.S. EPA · Green Infrastructure Environmental Benefits of Green Infrastructure

Federal background on the environmental functions and benefits associated with green infrastructure strategies.

U.S. EPA · Heat Green Infrastructure and Urban Heat

EPA guidance on the relationship between vegetation, green infrastructure and strategies for reducing heat-island impacts.

Building Performance Green Wall Thermal Performance Review

A systematic review examining the thermal-performance evidence associated with green wall systems.

The Vertical Plane Is Landscape.