The special issue, ‘Living Green, Liveable Cities’, marks an important step in AIPH’s work to strengthen the connection between scientific evidence and urban greening practice. It brings together research exploring how plants and nature can contribute to human health and wellbeing, stronger communities and healthier urban environments.
Importantly, ‘living green’ refers specifically to the use of plants within the urban fabric, distinguishing their contribution from the wider sustainability measures often associated with creating ‘green’ cities.
The special issue builds on a collaboration between AIPH, Expo 2023 Doha Qatar and Cities & Health to investigate the science and practice supporting the concept showcased by the Expo: that integrating living green into cities can help create healthier and more liveable places. The initiative began with the Living Green, Liveable Cities Research Symposium, held alongside Expo 2023 Doha Qatar in February 2024, which brought researchers and practitioners together to explore the evidence and its application to the practical challenges facing cities around the world.
“When we initiated the Living Green, Liveable Cities symposium, our goal was to bridge the gap between academic research and urban practice. Publishing this special issue is a major milestone — it places the hard evidence directly into the hands of city leaders to show that green infrastructure is an essential foundation for healthy, resilient cities.” — Dr. Audrey Timm, Technical Initiatives Manager, AIPH
Building the evidence for greener cities
The special issue brings together research across three interconnected themes: ‘Social and Cultural Health’, ‘Health and Wellbeing’, and ‘Environmental Health’.
Together, the research examines how living green influences urban life, from the restorative qualities of planted environments and opportunities for social connection to biodiversity and wider environmental health. It also explores the importance of the quality and design of green spaces, nature-based thinking, indigenous knowledge and active community participation.
The publication collates research to provide a lasting resource for city leaders, planners, landscape and horticultural professionals, researchers and others involved in shaping urban environments. Crucially, it supports the translation of research into practice, helping cities apply evidence and emerging approaches to inform decisions about how urban spaces are planned, designed and managed.
From research to practice in Doha
The Living Green, Liveable Cities Research Symposium provided the foundation for this work, with contributing authors presenting research across the three themes that would go on to shape the special issue.
Expo 2023 Doha Qatar provided a particularly relevant setting for these discussions. Held from 2 October 2023 to 28 March 2024 under the theme ‘Green Desert, Better Environment’, it was the first AIPH-approved International Horticultural Expo to be held in a desert climate.
For AIPH, the initiative reflects a wider ambition to strengthen the evidence supporting urban greening and ensure that this knowledge reaches those responsible for shaping cities. By bringing together researchers and practitioners, AIPH is helping build a stronger shared understanding of how living green can contribute to healthier, more resilient and liveable urban environments.
AIPH champions the power of plants and promotes their essential role in creating vibrant urban areas where people and businesses can thrive.
Read the special issue of Cities & Health: ‘Living Green, Liveable Cities’
Explore the ‘Living Green, Liveable Cities’ Research Symposium and watch the presentations on demand.
