The Municipality of Bestensee embraces the Power of Moss

The challenge is profound: How can a city center be transformed sustainably to improve the quality of stay and create vibrant, climate-resilient spaces? 

 Many communities are facing questions like these, including the town of Bestensee in Brandenburg, which has opted for an innovative solution. 

Photo: GCS

Since the summer of 2022, the square at the central and heavily traversed intersection of the town has been equipped with an innovative air filter called the ”CityBreeze“. This smart solution offers multiple benefits: It draws in polluted air, especially during the heated summer months. On one side of the pillar-shaped air filter, the air is then guided through mats of living moss. These exceptional mosses have the power to filter up to 82% of fine particles from the air, while simultaneously reducing the temperature by up to 4 degrees Celsius. Astonishingly, on the hottest days, this cooling effect can even reach an impressive 8 degrees! Additionally, soot, often present in fine particles and particularly harmful to the climate, is filtered out in the process. 

On the other side of the moss-covered wall, you’ll discover a captivating digital information screen. The municipality utilizes this screen in two primary ways: firstly, to convey essential information to its residents, and secondly, to showcase advertisements from local and regional businesses. The revenue generated from these advertisements effectively offsets the costs of installation for the municipality, making it an incredibly cost-effective or even cost-free solution.

Photos: GCS

Roland Holm, the recently elected Mayor of Bestensee, passionately explains the rationale behind adopting CityBreeze:  

“We chose to implement the CityBreeze in Bestensee for several reasons. Firstly, it offers a space-efficient integration of effective greenery in a busy location within the town center. This is especially important since we lack suitable areas for additional trees and shrubs. Secondly, it serves as a vibrant platform for communication and collaboration, fostering local structures in Bestensee. This way, digitization can be implemented in the most sustainable manner. By adopting such a concept, we are sending a clear message: Something significant is happening here.” 

Photo: Roland Holm

As a company rooted in Bestensee, we at Green City Solutions are delighted to see our CityBreeze taking its place here. Our diverse range of moss filters has already found application at numerous locations across Europe, and now CityBreeze is leaving its mark in our town, as well. 

Our products – CityBreeze, CityTree, and WallBreeze – elevate sealed open spaces into captivating attractions and showcases of exceptional quality, enriching the overall experience. These installations go beyond simply purifying and cooling the air we breathe: they also serve as inviting seating areas and dynamic digital canvases for residents and creative individuals alike. Collaborative endeavors such as community communication or messages from local businesses, encompassing retail and tourism, can be seamlessly brought to life on these platforms. 

By converting sealed outdoor spaces into multifunctional, sustainable hubs, we at Green City Solutions GmbH offer practical solutions to environmental challenges while fostering community engagement. Bestensee’s adoption of our innovative solutions underscores the town’s commitment to progress, ecological awareness, and the creation of vibrant shared spaces.  

Photo: GCS