The current research provides a comparative overview of Vertical Greenery Systems (VGS) investigations in China and Malaysia covering the time period of 2010 to 2024. The PRISMA framework was applied for the analysis of 61 empirical studies 45 from China and 16 from Malaysia. Both countries aim at sustainability but emphasize different aspects in their research, which is impacted by climate, socio-economic factors, and policy frameworks. Chinese research, which is backed by a government initiative, points at environmental impacts like thermal regulation, air quality, and carbon reduction. Malaysian research, though limited, emphasizes passive cooling, thermal comfort, and cost-effectiveness in a tropical climate. The Chinese research is mostly in the field of environmental sciences with 28.9% of the total while Malaysia has a more even representation of environmental, architectural, and interdisciplinary fields (each 18.8%). In terms of focus, Chinese studies dominate with environmental aspects (51.1%), whereas Malaysian studies share between economic (50.0%) and social benefits (31.2%). The results indicate that climate and governance are factors that determine VGS research direction and application. China has managed to integrate urban areas on a large scale, whereas Malaysia still struggles with policy and maintenance issues. The impact of this study is that it sets the stage for cross-country learning in order to promote the adoption of sustainable urban development.

Urban viaduct corridors represent persistent hotspots of traffic-derived particulate matter (PM), yet the performance of modular living wall systems (MLWS) in such environments remains poorly understood. This study investigated species-dependent deposition of fine-sized (≤2.5 µm) and coarse-sized (>2.5–10 µm) particles on an MLWS installed on viaduct piers in Wuhan, China. Four plant species were evaluated at three installation heights (0 m, 1 m, and 2 m) using 36 leaf samples analysed via environmental scanning electron microscopy and ImageJ-based quantification. Hosta plantaginea and Chlorophytum comosum exhibited substantially higher image-derived particle deposition than Bowles mint and Begonia ‘Escargot’. The observed species-level pattern was consistent with qualitative differences in leaf-surface micromorphology, although the contribution of individual traits could not be determined because these traits were not quantitatively measured. Installation height showed a descriptive but non-significant trend in PM deposition (H = 1.545, p = 0.462), with the highest median value observed at 2 m. Adaxial surfaces showed approximately 2.1 times higher deposited particle counts than abaxial surfaces, based on paired Wilcoxon signed-rank testing (Z = 4.399, p < 0.001). Fine-sized particles accounted for over 80% of total deposited particles across all conditions. These findings offer preliminary indications for species selection in MLWS on transport infrastructure, pending multi-seasonal and multi-site validation.

Modular living walls (MLWs) are increasingly adopted as biophilic façade interventions in high-end commercial environments, yet their behavioural effects at luxury retail entrances remain underexplored. Grounded in the stimulus–organism–response framework, this study investigates how MLWs integrated into luxury retail façades influence visitors’ perceptual, emotional, and behavioural responses at the Beauty Galleria of The Exchange TRX, Kuala Lumpur. Using a field-based survey and structural equation modelling with 400 visitors, the study examines the relationships among MLW presence, perceived naturalness, pleasure, arousal, perceived restorativeness, façade attractiveness, and behavioural intentions. The results show that MLWs significantly enhance perceived naturalness, pleasure, arousal, and perceived restorativeness. These organismic responses positively influence perceived façade attractiveness, which in turn strongly predicts both approach intention and photo-taking intention. Façade attractiveness emerged as a central mediating mechanism, while the indirect effect of MLWs on behavioural intentions was significant. The model explained a substantial proportion of variance in façade attractiveness and confirmed that consumer responses to biophilic façades are primarily shaped through sequential perceptual and affective processes rather than direct stimulus effects. This study extends the application of the S–O–R framework to façade-level biophilic design and provides practical evidence that MLWs can enhance first impressions and consumer engagement in luxury retail environments.