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AIPH looks at the year that was

At the beginning of the year, AIPH traveled to Expo 2023 Doha in Qatar to host the 'Living Green, Liveable Cities' Research Symposium. This event brought together prominent researchers from around the globe to present their findings on the health, well-being, and community benefits of urban greening.

Organized by AIPH in collaboration with Cities & Health and Expo 2023 Doha Qatar, the symposium presented research under three themes that demonstrate the contribution of 'living green' to healthy and resilient cities: Social and Cultural Health, Health and Wellbeing, and Environmental Health.

Watch the full symposium on demand

The research presented at the Symposium is being compiled as a special Cities & Health journal issue, also titled 'Living Green, Liveable Cities' to be published early in 2025. This special issue was instigated by AIPH and Expo 2023 Doha Qatar to investigate the science and practice supporting the concept showcased at the Expo of creating liveable and healthy urban environments through city greening.

Green City Conferences
Arid environments present many challenges for sustainable and liveable green cities, but the use of nature can provide solutions. AIPH returned to Expo 2023 Doha in Qatar in March for the AIPH Green City Conference. This international conference explored how plants can be used to address the issues in hot, dry environments and how this knowledge can be expanded to other cities around the globe.

Prominent speakers from around the world presented on the Conference theme of 'city greening solutions for arid environments', including Keynote speaker Professor David Simon, Professor of Development Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. Watch the full conference on demand

Later on in the year, AIPH contributed to the Green City Conference at Green is Life in Poland, Warsaw, held alongside the AIPH Autumn Congress. The Conference's theme explored the synergy between the urban environment and plants.

Henrik Sjoman, Senior Researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, presented ''Dendro Futura' – the urban trees of tomorrow and the importance of the nursery delivering these trees'. In his presentation, he highlighted the need to diversify the trees used in urban environments and make use of both native and non-native species.

Watch the presentation

AIPH Green City Briefings
Launched in May, the third series of AIPH Green City Briefings provides compelling evidence and examples of the power of 'living green' to deliver multiple solutions to city challenges. Each themed webinar, featuring world-renowned experts alongside global examples of best practices, links up knowledge and practice.

The series so far has featured subjects such as biodiversity in the city, planting for managing urban heat, inspiring green cities of the future, and more.

Catch up on the 2024 series

The Briefings will continue in 2025 and will feature the Winners of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024. Find out more and register.

AIPH World Green City Awards 2024
In September, AIPH attended the Future Green City World Congress in Utrecht, the Netherlands. With over 200 international experts and more than 1,500 participants, the conference was a vibrant platform for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable urban development. A highlight of the congress was hosting the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024 Ceremony, where the winners of the prestigious awards were announced.

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 ground-breaking initiative, which covers an area of 1,275 square kilometers, aims to transform 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.

All the Winners, Finalists, and Certificate of Merit recipients are featured in the AIPH Green City Case Study Collection, which showcases the details of their impressive initiatives.

View the case study collection here

ISHS Greener Cities 2024 Symposium
AIPH Green City consultant Dr Francesca Boyd participated in the prestigious ISHS Greener Cities 2024 Symposium, held over four days at RHS Wisley, UK. This global gathering brought together leading researchers, horticultural experts, and urban planners to advance sustainable urban development through the power of plants.

Dr Boyd showcased the role of AIPH's Green City Initiative in bridging the gap between academia and industry. As the world's champion for the power of plants, this initiative promotes sustainable urban development by emphasizing the integral role of horticulture in building a greener future for generations to come.

Read more here

COP16 Cali, Colombia
AIPH's Technical Initiatives Manager, Dr Audrey Timm, joined in the conversations at COP16 in Cali, Colombia – connecting discussions on biodiversity, urban ecosystems, and the transformative potential of nature-positive economies.

COP16, the 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Biodiversity Convention, is recognized as the world's most important event for conserving biodiversity. The summit, attended by over 15,000 delegates, focused on implementing the '30×30 Biodiversity Goal (KMGBF) to protect 30 percent of the planet's lands and waters by 2030.

Dr Timm presented 'Learning from Cities: People and Nature in the Urban Context" at the Biopolis Symposium, organized by the International Living Infrastructure Commission (LINC). This keynote speech explored the three Finalists of the 'Living Green for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration' category of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024.

Read more here

For more information:
AIPH
www.aiph.org

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