How tall and how green can a vertical mall be? Case studies of East Asian cities

With the rapid economic development, shopping malls have mushroomed in East Asian cities; simultaneously, the concept of a vertical mall is being developed and practiced in East Asian cities to exploit the potential of limited buildable land. To counter the crowdedness, the use of green leisure space has become popular in high-rise malls, with green space design moving from horizontal to vertical, from outdoor to indoor, or blurring the old boundaries. No matter these vertical malls conform to the “green” criteria or not, they somehow bring social impact in various ways. This chapter aims to analyze the uptake of greening concepts in high-density East Asian vertical malls and review different types, designs, and spatial arrangements of “greening” in high-rise shopping malls built in cities such as Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Chongqing. Based on a study of a large number of high-rise shopping malls, the authors identify four types of design methods frequently applied in achieving “green” goals. By analyzing and summarizing the development of green space combined with vertical malls, this chapter aims to give critical thinking and feasible references to the sustainable development of commercial buildings in high-density cities and provide lessons for future commercial building projects in metropolitan cities. The authors hope to promote a smarter, healthier, and more sustainable development of future metropolises - a central well-being that matters to society. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Peng Du, Kheir Al-Kodmany, and Mir M. Ali; individual chapters, the contributors.