‘Need vertical forest cities in India, with skyscrapers integrated with urban biodiversity corridors’
Architecture students at a summit in Chennai proposed the integration of vertical forests and skyscrapers to combat urban heat and biodiversity loss. They argue that current urban planning fails to enforce green space mandates and that future developments must treat ecology as an integrated system.
Why it matters
As Indian cities face rapid urbanization and rising temperatures, integrating sustainable architecture is critical for climate resilience and urban livability.
As the concrete jungle in Indian cities such as Chennai has outgrown green cover and increased heat stress, these cities need vertical forest cities, integrating skyscrapers with urban farming, biodiversity corridors, carbon sequestration, and cooling landscapes.
According to data compiled for The Hindu Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure Summit 2026 by final-year architecture student Subhapradha, Saveetha College of Architecture and Design, dense, built-up areas in Chennai showed rising surface temperature, creating persistent heat spots, as the city’s vegetation declined from 25% in 2014 to 10% in 2024 and built-up area expanded from 36% in 2014 to 67% in 2024.
“We need vertical forest cities in India, integrating skyscrapers with urban farming, biodiversity corridors, carbon sequestration, and cooling landscapes. Chennai already has a built example of vertical greenery at scale with 15,000 sq. ft. of landscaped gardens,” said Ms. Subhapradha.
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