Urban greening is more than a complementary feature of city planning—it is a vital tool for delivering climate resilience, restoring biodiversity, and improving urban life. Reflecting this shift, the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) – the world’s champion for the power of plants – recognises cities that place plants at the centre of their strategies through the AIPH World Green City Awards. Today, AIPH announces the Category Leads guiding the selection of the 21 finalists for the 2026 Awards edition.
Informed use of plants in urban environments addresses some of the most pressing challenges facing cities today, including climate change, biodiversity loss, inequality, competitiveness, and liveability. The AIPH World Green City Awards recognise cities that are responding to these challenges through high-quality, plant-based solutions that deliver measurable impact.
The Awards are built on a rigorous, peer-reviewed evaluation framework that assesses functional urban greening initiatives. As the 2026 Awards process advances, AIPH is working with a panel of international experts to ensure that each entry is assessed with depth, fairness, and technical insight.
Category Leads for 2026
AIPH is pleased to confirm the following Category Leads, who are guiding the technical review process across each Award category:
- Living Green for Biodiversity & Urban Ecosystem Restoration – John-Rob Pool, Senior Manager, Nature-positive Urban Development & UrbanShift, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, World Resources Institute
- Living Green for Climate Change – Melinda Martinus, Lead Researcher, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS)
- Living Green for Health & Wellbeing – Amanda O’Rourke, CEO, 8 80 Cities
- Living Green for Water – Sarah Crowe, Town Planner / Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland
- Living Green for Social Cohesion & Inclusive Communities – Leticia Lozano, Director General, MACIA Estudio
- Living Green for Urban Infrastructure & Liveability – Ton Vergeldt, Senior Project Manager, Arcadis
- Living Green for Urban Agriculture & Food Systems – Kevin Frediani, Operations Manager, National Trust for Scotland
A Rigorous, Evidence-Led Process
The application process has been designed to ensure that the strongest initiatives rise to the top. Cities are assessed against criteria that prioritise:
- Evidence-based decision-making, including a clear definition of the urban challenge being addressed
- Monitoring and evaluation systems that track outcomes and long-term impact
- Cross-sector collaboration
- Alignment with policy and strategy frameworks
- The sharing of knowledge within and beyond city boundaries
Successful initiatives go beyond surface-level interventions. They demonstrate how plants can be integrated into multi-functional urban systems to deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits.
By participating in the Awards, cities create a valuable record of their journey—from vision and implementation through to evaluation and knowledge sharing—supporting others to learn and adapt.
Expert Peer Review
Each submission undergoes a robust peer-review process, with five expert judges from the AIPH Technical Panel assessing every entry. To ensure balance and fairness, a different combination of judges is assigned to each project.
The Technical Panel represents a global cross-section of expertise, including fields such as water engineering, horticulture, social entrepreneurship, and child-friendly urban design. This diversity reflects the multi-functional nature of urban greening and its role in shaping healthier, more resilient cities.
Looking Ahead
The Category Leads are currently guiding the panel towards the selection of 21 finalists—three in each category. These finalists will be presented to the AIPH World Green City Awards Jury, which will determine the overall winners. In parallel, a dedicated Youth Jury will select the recipient of the Youth Award.
Through documenting these initiatives, the AIPH World Green City Awards continue to build a global evidence base—moving urban greening from inspiring ideas to implemented reality.
Be the First to Know
The announcement of the 21 finalists is just around the corner. To ensure you don’t miss the reveal, follow AIPH Green City on LinkedIn and subscribe to the AIPH Global Green City Update to receive the latest news directly in your inbox.
