In Brussels, on the 30 January 2025 during an official ceremony at the IPM in Essen,
Germany, the official winner of the Green Cities Award was announced. This year the
internationally respected award was won by France, sending in the ‘LES JARDINS DE PRE
GAUDRY’ Greenery project in Lyon. Other attention went to Italy: Parco della Pace in Palladio (Vicenza Province) and Poland: Greening of Nowy Targ Square (Wroclaw), who took the second and third prizes respectively.
Commenting on winning the first prize, Pierre Athanaze (Vice-President of the Lyon
metropole) stated: “We’re proud and delighted to be receiving this prestigious Green Cities award today for the Pré Gaudry gardens, giving us great encouragement as we continue down this path.”
Foto: Armin Huber/©MESSE ESSEN GmbH
Regarding greenery in Lyon, added the following:”Re-naturalisation is a priority for the Lyon metropolitan area. Our goal is to plant more and more effectively, in order to improve living environments for our residents and preserve green spaces and biodiversity. In time, these plants will transform the city landscape to become urban cool islands, havens for biodiversity and carbon sinks. Such is the dynamic behind all our actions at the metropolitan level, enabling us to achieve tangible results for the climate, nature and biodiversity. The Lyon metropolitan area has implemented its Nature Plan, which extends beyond the city’s public spaces by offering support for re-naturalisation projects undertaken by joint ownership properties or housing associations.”
Each year, the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) and its Green Cities Europe
campaign highlight successful and innovative green infrastructure projects.
The international trade fair in Essen brings together a wide variety of people from the
horticultural sector and therefore, created the perfect occasion for people interested in this
sector and award.
During the ceremony three representatives of each country with a placement in the top 3
held a presentation in which the greenery projects were briefly explained.
Ten judges assessed the projects on several criteria like: overall greenery and design; impact on climate, environment and economic factors; the (re)use of materials; innovativeness and reproducibility. The participating projects ranged from innovative greening of city districts to interesting initiatives related to biodiversity. (Jurors: Mr. Lucien Verschoren (BE), Tatyana Boyadzhieva (BG), Morten Weeke Borup (DK), Catherine Muller (FR), Achim von Falkenhayn(DE), Mr. Gergely Rónai (HU), Mrs. Novella B. Cappelletti (IT), Mr. Erik Stuurbrink (NL), Mrs. Magdalena Szmit-Siewruk (PL) and Mrs. Åsa Keane (SE)).
The seven other national projects participating in the competition in 2024 were:
Belgium (Urban Forest – Genk), Bulgaria (Chengene Skele – Burgas), Denmark (Karens Minde Axis – Copenhagen), Germany (Green Bunker St. Pauli – Hamburg), Hungary (Complex Touristic Development of Zalakaros Health Resort), The Netherlands (Climate proof Neighbourhoods – Alkmaar) and Sweden (Grönare Möllan / Greener Möllevången – Malmö). All projects can be found on award.thegreencities.eu.
The Green Cities Europe Award emphasizes the value of international collaboration and the transformative power of greenery in creating more sustainable and liveable cities. This year’s submissions provide inspiration for cities across Europe and beyond to think about new green initiatives. Looking ahead to 2025, we hope to once again celebrate outstanding greening projects with another award.
Mr. Tim van Hulle, ENA President, highlighted the Importance of Green Cities. “Cities are the beating hearts of our nations, home to over half of the world’s population – a number that continues to grow. But with this rapid urbanization comes pressing challenges: air and water pollution, biodiversity loss, and the heat island effect, to name a few. These are not just environmental concerns; they are deeply human concerns. They impact our health, our
economies and our quality of life.”
He added “Informing and motivation local governments to change their view of cities is a key element in our campaign. A green city is a city that integrates sustainability into every aspect of urban living, it’s about reimagining our urban spaces to nurture both people and the planet.”
