From skyscraper farms to vegetated towers, green design is definitely going up. A new idea within this theme may reach beyond eco-friendly urbanites and appeal to another demographic: suburban families used to open yards, spaced-out houses and self-contained micro-communities.

Skyburbs, from the imagination of two of Tzannes Associates designers, naturally come equipt with the standard sustainable, from passive solar heat and environmental irrigation systems to green gardens, walls and roofs. What really stands out about this concept, however, is the way in which it captures the spirit of suburban lifestyles yet is also envisioned for the centers of urban areas.

One question is worth asking, though, despite the seemingly visionary idea behind this design: is it anything truly new? Modernists dreamed of cities in the sky a century ago. Was their vision – which likewise included elevated common areas, overlapping gathering spaces, rooftop parks and the like – separated by more than merely a green overlay? And if not: will such urban green mega-structures really work or are they destined to become contemporary cousins of these failed endeavors?