Reevaluating Living Walls: Towards Holistic Sustainability in Urban Design.

This paper critically evaluates the long-term sustainability of living walls in urban environments. While living walls are often praised for their environmental and aesthetic benefits, they face challenges related to high maintenance, limited resilience, and ecological impacts. The study adopts a qualitative case study approach, supported by international precedents such as Bosco Verticale in Milan and One Central Park in Sydney, as well as a local application in Egypt: The Tag Sultan Generator Room Green Walls in New Cairo. The case study demonstrates measurable outcomes, including an average ambient temperature reduction of 3.5 °C and the annual sequestration of approximately 5,520 kg of CO₂ across 2,400 m² of vertical greenery. These results provide practical insights into how vertical greenery can be adapted to hot-arid climates, offering lessons on plant selection, irrigation efficiency, and social acceptance. Alternative regenerative strategies, including modular systems, biodiversity-oriented planting, and water recycling, are discussed in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11, 13, and 15). The findings highlight both opportunities and limitations of living walls, emphasizing the need for context-sensitive designs and policies that integrate ecological, social, and economic dimensions for more resilient cities.