Although I stayed in the city this week, the arrangement of palm trees and gardens on NTU's campus is always neat. There are various greenhouses and herbariums spread throughout the campus that sell to the public or are run by the biology department. In fact, there is an old dormitory in the middle of campus that is wrapped in vines, as if it's slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature. I'm betting there's a fun story behind it like there is at every university campus.
Although it does have green spaces, Taipei does struggle with air pollution. Being a densely populated city with lots of vehicles and industrial activity, microdust can get kicked up and cause smoggy days. Additionally, pollution from mainland China can make its way across the strait and sink into Taipei because of its topography. However, the government is taking steps to mitigate this issue, and there has been progress. For example, Taipei used to have frequent bouts of rain with a high pH level, making it acidic. However, acid rain now happens less and less frequently.
