The City of Paris was named Grand Winner of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026 for its inspiring ‘Retrofitting Paris into a biodiversity friendly city’ initiative.
During the 78th AIPH Annual Congress in Bari, Italy, the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) announced the winning urban greening initiatives for the 2026 edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards. From the 21 Finalists, eight cities were named Category Winners for demonstrating remarkable innovation, achievement, and commitment to the globally recognised imperative to embrace nature-orientated solutions to help address the major challenges facing cities.
Paris, France, received the highest accolade for its ambitious approach to embedding biodiversity across one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Through its Bioclimatic Local Urban Master Plan and Biodiversity Strategy, Paris is integrating plants and green infrastructure into buildings, streets, and public spaces to restore ecosystems, reduce climate risks, and reconnect nature across the city. Green roofs, new parks, ecological corridors, and extensive tree planting are helping Paris respond to the challenges of limited green space, rising temperatures, and the urban heat island effect.
“Paris stands out because it shows how a crowded, historic concrete jungle can successfully bring nature back. They aren't just giving advice; they made greening a legal requirement for developers. They are doing this on a huge scale, targeting 5,000 social housing units a year and ramping up to 40,000 private condos annually by 2030,” said Jury Member Kotchakorn Voraakhom, CEO and Founder of LANDPROCESS and Porous City Network.
Category Winners
Living Green for Biodiversity & Urban Ecosystem Restoration
‘Retrofitting Paris into a biodiversity friendly city’ – Paris, France
‘Surrey’s Green Infrastructure Network – Preserving Biodiversity for Future Generations’ – Surrey, Canada
Living Green for Climate Change
‘Mission Million Trees – Planting 14 million trees in Ahmedabad’ – Ahmedabad, India
Living Green for Health & Wellbeing
‘Cidade da Criança: Nature-Based Early Childhood Infrastructure in Fortaleza’ – Fortaleza, Brazil
Living Green for Water
‘Melaka River Rehabilitation and Beautification Project’ – Malacca, Malaysia
Living Green for Social Cohesion & Inclusive Communities
‘Green City Chiang Rai – Plant Trees, Plant People’ – Chiang Rai, Thailand
Living Green for Urban Agriculture & Food Systems
‘Programa Altépetl’ – Mexico City, Mexico
Living Green for Urban Infrastructure & Liveability
‘Greening the Future – Sheffield’s Model for Climate Resilient Urban Design’ – Sheffield, UK
Bill Hardy, Chair of the AIPH Green City Committee and Awards Jury Chair, commented: “Each edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards continues to grow in both quality and alignment with the broader goals of advancing global Green City initiatives. This year featured some of the strongest entries we have seen to date, with many submissions expanding and redefining the scope of their respective categories through innovation, integration, and measurable impact.”
AIPH Youth Award
Recognising the importance of engaging young people in urban greening, the city of Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, was presented with the AIPH Youth Award for its ‘Bunia Climate-Shield: A Green Belt for Urban Resilience’ initiative.
Held in collaboration with the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), the AIPH Youth Award celebrates and rewards cities using the power of plants to meet the aspirations of the global youth and fulfil their need for a greener, healthier, and more resilient urban future. A Jury of 14 young professionals selected the shortlist and winner from the 21 Finalists.
The Bunia Climate-Shield initiative is transforming schools into hubs for urban greening and water management, combining tree planting, school gardens, agroforestry, and planted water systems to reduce flooding and erosion, restore ecosystems, and improve food security. More than 6,000 students are engaged in the project, gaining practical knowledge and skills while contributing directly to their city’s resilience.
