City of Chengdu/China named Grand Winner

The City of Chengdu, China, was presented the highest accolade of the competition, taking home the title of Grand Winner for their inspiring initiative, titled the “Urban Green Heart Programme.” This groundbreaking initiative, which covers an area of 1,275 square kilometres, aims to transform the Longquan Mountain, the future heart of Chengdu City, into a world-class green space set to become the largest urban forest park in the world. The goal is not only to provide residents with a more liveable natural environment, but also to better protect plant and animal habitats, enhance biodiversity, and create a thriving urban area in which nature is at the core.

The Grand Winner was selected from among the seven category winners who were announced and presented trophies as follows:

• Living Green for Biodiversity and Urban Ecosystem RestorationUrban Green Heart Programme - City of Chengdu, China
• Living Green for Climate ChangeMandera Municipality’s Greening Programme - Mandera Municipality, Kenya
• Living Green for Health and WellbeingGreen and Healthy Environments Program (PAVS) - City of São Paulo, Brazil
• Living Green for WaterClimate Change Strategy - City of Joondalup, Australia
• Living Green for Social Cohesion and Inclusive CommunitiesResiLab BioSocial, Huerto Roma Verde - Mexico City, Mexico
• Living Green for Urban Infrastructure and LiveabilitySPIRE - Smart Post-Industrial Regenerative Ecosystem - City of Baia Mare, Romania
• Living Green for Urban Agriculture and Food SystemsCuritiba's Urban Agriculture - City of Curitiba, Brazil

The seven category winners, one in each of the seven Award categories, were selected by the 2024 Jury from the list of 21 Finalists.

The City of Joondalup, Australia, as well as being the winner of the Living Green for Water category, was announced as the very first AIPH Youth Award winner in recognition of their efforts to engage, collaborate with, and ensure the participation of young people in the implementation of the city’s “Climate Change Strategy.” This award, brought to life by AIPH and the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), was selected by a dedicated Youth Jury and is envisioned to be a core part of future editions.

Hosted by AIPH and partners on the evening of the 25th September 2024, 400 high-level delegates gathered for a gala dinner at the Royal Jaarbeurs in the heart of the City of Utrecht, the Netherlands, to witness the highly anticipated announcement of the award-winning cities who are harnessing the power of plants and demonstrating how collective local action can achieve meaningful global impact. With this announcement, AIPH and partners proudly showcase the bold and inspiring urban greening initiatives by winning cities from around the world, all of whom are leading the way in shaping a greener urban future.

• To share the key features of the winning cities’ success, AIPH hosted an exciting series of 7 workshops at the Future Green City World Congress. These workshops provided an opportunity for the 21 Finalists to present their bold and innovative urban greening initiatives. Case studies of these 21 initiatives are available: