Los Angeles residents no longer have to travel to more exotic locations to treat themselves to the sight of a bamboo forest thanks to the Urban Air project. It has turned a working billboard into a lush bamboo garden. But that is just the beginning. Currently vying for funding on Kickstarter, the Urban Air project hopes to convert billboards around the world into bamboo gardens.
Conceived and created by American artist Stephen Glassman, the Urban Air project will not only help to beautify urban areas, it will also help process the carbon dioxide from cars below into oxygen, effectively cleaning up the air.
After winning the 2011 London International Creativity Award, the Urban Air project found its legs thanks to Summit Media, a Los Angeles billboard company.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Vertical Gardens
- The creation of artistic green spaces on the exteriors of buildings in cities, which will improve air quality by removing carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.
- Smart Billboards
- Innovative digital advertising platforms designed to synergize with urban environments and promote environmentalism by providing creative outlets for nature artists.
- Eco-art
- Artistic approaches to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of urban areas by combining advertising with environmentalism to create biophilic design.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Outdoor Advertising
- By incorporating plant life and greenery into billboards, outdoor advertisers can create a unique and innovative way to promote products while simultaneously strengthening brand value.
- Architecture
- Architects can develop a symbiotic relationship between a structure and the natural environment through incorporating vertical gardens into building designs.
- Environmental Services
- Environmental service companies can partner with urban artists, such as Stephen Glassman, to design and create urban art structures that have a positive influence on the environment.
