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LATEST NEWS & ARTICLES

61st IFLA World Congress to be held from September 10th – 12th in Nantes, France

As part of WGIN’s ongoing collaboration with The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) we are pleased to announce the 61st IFLA World Congress, organized in partnership with the French Federation of Landscape Architects (FFP, Fédération Française du Paysage.) The event will run from September 10th – 12th 2025 at La Cité des Congrès in Nantes, France. The IFLA World Congress is the most important annual event for the landscape architecture profession and the IFLA community. In 2025, the Organising Committee has chosen the theme GUIDING LANDSCAPES: planning, designing and managing new resilient urban neighbourhoods, reorganising public space by reopening land, increasing rainwater infiltration and developing urban biodiversity to cool cities are all key issues. The congress will bring together 1,200 landscape architects, urban planners and decision-makers from over 50 countries. WGIN encourages the green infrastructure community to join IFLA2025 for inspiring lectures, discussions, study visits, networking and social events! Please share and circulate this information among your colleagues. KEY DATES Call for Abstracts starts: Submit your abstract now! Registration opens: mid February 2025 Abstract submission deadline: 15 March 2025 Notification of abstract selection: 15 April 2025 Deadline for authors registration: 15 May 2025 Early bird registration deadline: 15 June 2025 Standard registration deadline: 25 July 2025.

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01/23/2025 No Comments

Ready, Steady, Go: Advancing Urban Green Infrastructure in the EU

In the article “Advancing Urban Green Infrastructure in the EU“, Luigi Petito, Head of Secretariat of the WGIN’s EU Chapter, explores how green infrastructure is transforming urban areas across Europe. As cities face the pressures of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, the European Union is promoting nature-based solutions such as green roofs, urban parks, and sustainable drainage systems to address these challenges. Petito highlights how these initiatives improve environmental resilience, enhance energy efficiency, and support urban competitiveness. The article provides a short overview on the new EU institutional framework and two major policy files on the European Commission’s agenda that provide clear opportunities to promote urban green infrastructure in European cities: the European Water Resilience Strategy and the European Climate Adaptation Plan.  Read the full article here.

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01/07/2025 No Comments

World Congress on Green Roofs and Façades | Call for Papers

  Climate adaptation and the greening of cities is the order of the day. Which strategies and measures in roof and façade greening are proving to be effective and successful? Challenges lead to solutions and new strategies, technical innovations and developments, which will be presented and discussed at a scientific, practice-oriented congress. The congress will take place at the University of Basel, in the historic Kollegiengebäude. Contributions will be offered in the technical field of green roofs and façades, on building ecology topics, on research and on the development of new strategies and as an instrument of ecological urban planning. The World Congress on Green Roofs and Green Façades on June 5 and 6, 2025 will offer an information platform and be a driving force for establishing the promotion, research and development of green roofs and façades worldwide. Call for papers is now open until January 15 2024. Submit your paper and find more information here: Call for Papers | ZHAW Institute of Natural Resource Sciences IUNR Visit the congress website for more information: World Green Roof and Facades Congress 2025 | Organized by ZHAW

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12/05/2024 No Comments

WGIN AWARDS 2024

The WGIN Awards ceremony took place in Auckland, New Zealand on 3-5 September, during the World Green Infrastructure Congress 2024. The WGIN was thrilled to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the for World Green Infrastructure Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in sustainable urban design and environmental stewardship. After eight months of diligent work by our six-member working committee and a rigorous judging process involving 30 judges from 4 continents and 25 countries across 20 sessions, we have selected the top projects, research, and policies in each of our six categories. Read the press release here.  WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS 2024 Category 1: Green Roofs Winner: Boronggook Drysdale Library – Sloping Green Roof, (Drysdale, Australia)  Honorable Mention:Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden (Chicago, Americas) Category 2: Green Walls Winner: The Standard – Fire Compliant Green Wall (Brisbane, Australia)  Honorable Mention: Badouzi Restaurant – Indoor Waterfall Green Wall (Yunlin, Taiwan) Category 3: Green Neighborhood scale and on-grade Winner: Tarralla Creek Wetlands (Croydon Australia)  Honorable Mention: Forest Green Campus (Warsaw, Poland) Honorable Mention: Wadanggari Park (St Leonards, Australia).   Category 4: Green Infrastructure Policy Winner: The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and The EU Nature Restoration Regulation.Honorable Mention: Toronto Green Roof Bylaw (Toronto, Canada) Category 5: Green Infrastructure Research and Academic work Winner: “Hort Innovation and Green Roof Research” coordinated by Professor Nicholas William from the University of Melbourne, Australia, with a team of researchers and experts from public and private institutions. Honorable Mention: “Thermal Performance of Green Walls and Roofs” coordinated by Abdollah Baghaei, Massey University, New Zealand. Category 6: Green Infrastructure student posters Winner: “Aitken Creek Oasis: Climate-Resilient Suburban Design and Biodiversity Restoration” (Melbourne, Australia).

CitiesAlive 2024, 6-9 November 2024

CitiesAlive is celebrating its twentieth anniversary on 6-9 November 2024! This multi-disciplinary conference will be held in thecity of Toronto, spotlighting pioneering green roof designs, groundbreaking policies, and groundbreaking products and services within the green infrastructure industry. CitiesAlive offers plenty of opportunities for participants to connect and interact with experts and design professionals in the field. The event serves as a unique platform to foster Business-to-Business and Business-to-Consumer transactions, networking. Our tailored programming is geared toward engaging architects, landscape architects, and other design professionals, specifiers, researchers, policymakers, and students who represent the future. The agenda is tailored for the green building industry and policymakers around the globe. All sessions are designed to focus on the opportunities and challenges faced by the industry, as well as celebrate the past 20 years of green infrastructure implementation. Co-Hosted by the City of Toronto, CitiesAlive 2024 will feature 5 concurrent tracks of presentations, with over 100 speakers. Continuing Education opportunities to be announced. Take a look at the complete agenda here. Register now for Cities Alive 2024!

Biopolis Global Symposium 2024

Biopolis 2024 will take place on the 22nd of October in Cali, Colombia during the COP 16. Biopolis is the global voice for the “human right to nature” and the “rights of nature” in cities, presented at 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of the United Nations. The convention will be attended by participants from over 190 countries. It will bring together governments, observer organizations, indigenous communities, businesses, youth groups, civil society, academia, and the general public. COP16 will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework (also known as The Biodiversity Plan). During COP 16, governments will review the progress made to implement the Biodiversity Plan, as well as the level of alignment of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) with the Plan, in particular, the integration of biodiversity in urban areas. The Symposium is organized by the International Living Infrastructure Commission (LINC) bringing together key global networks and organizations: The World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), The International Federation of Landscape Architecture (IFLA), the US Green Building Council, and local partners: The National University of Colombia, The Alexander Von Humboldt Institute, and the Colombian Green Building Council. Key note speakers from 5 continents and world leaders will share their experience and expertise in green infrastructure, landscape architecture, nature based solutions, urban ecology and biodiversity. For more information visit: Home | Biopolis 2024 Call for AbstractsSubmit a 150 word abstract of a 20 min lecture to be presented at the Symposium on any of the following topics: Human settlements and reforestation Ecosystem services and public health, Food sovereignty local knowledge and infrastructure for alternative bio economies Adaptation to climate change through nature-based solutions Conservation of biodiversity in urban areas. Prepare a 200 short bio of the applicant to include credentials, expertise, and organizations. Send the above to Biopolis_nal@unal.edu.co before August 23. Final BIOPOLIS agenda and accepted abstracts will be published in September 5

Slovak Association for Green Roof and Green Infrastructure transforms into iCARI

International Climate Adaptation Research Institute (iCARI) transformed from Slovak Association for Green Roof and Green Infrastructure. We are pleased to announce that our member, the Slovak Association for Green Roof and Green Infrastructure has transformed into the international Climate Adaptation Research Institute (iCARI). This strategic evolution marks a significant step forward in our collective efforts to address Climate change and promote sustainable development. iCARI focuses on several core areas, including green and blue infrastructure, urban water retention, energy efficiency in buildings, emission reduction in construction, and urban waste management. By integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and advanced data science methodologies, iCARI aims to enhance ecosystem services, mitigate urban heat islands, improve water management, and promote sustainable building practices. Their commitment to leveraging natural processes and cutting-edge data analytics ensures the development of effective Adaptation and mitigation strategies. Operating locally in Slovakia, regionally within the EU Green Deal framework, and globally to seek feasible measures in the field of Climate change Adaptation, iCARI’s work encompasses research, advocacy, and collaboration. Their initiatives address local challenges while contributing to global solutions, enhancing Climate resilience, and supporting sustainable development. As we look ahead, we anticipate even closer collaboration with iCARI in applied research and data-driven Adaptation measures. This partnership will further our shared goal of comprehensive Climate solutions that adapt to and mitigate Climate change’s impacts. We welcome iCARI and are excited about this transformation’s opportunities for advancing Climate Adaptation research and practices. iCARI will present its projects and announce the first members of its International Scientific Board at the World Green Infrastructure Congress 2024 in Auckland, New Zealand. Currently, the website is being redesigned and rebranded, but basic information is already available at:www.icari.eu

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PROJECTS

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Future-proof building: Unique residential area with sloping green roofs

08/22/2023

© wallaard vegetatiedaken This project is a breakthrough in nature-inclusive construction with sloping green roofs and a great example of bio-based construction. In the Dutch city Uden, new-build project De Bogerd, of housing corporation Area, provides a new benchmark in the field of future-proof building. Creating a green and liveable environment for a broad target group was the main goal when designing this new residential area. The project is a breakthrough in nature-inclusive construction with sloping green roofs, and an excellent example of bio-based construction using wood and other natural materials. Location: De Bogerd City: Uden, The Netherlands Designer / Project Owner: Housing corporation “Area” Date: June 2023 Green Roof System: Pitched green roof system Unique sustainable project for the social rental sector The project consists of 40 social housing units of various dwelling types built on a site where 22 homes used to be. Sempergreen’s sloping green roof system has been applied to all homes, in combination with solar panels. This makes De Bogerd a unique project, as sloping green roofs have never before been applied within the Dutch social housing sector on such a large scale. The sloping green roof system contributes to a pleasant living environment for the residents. In addition, the system is fully recyclable and dismountable, making it a sustainable solution. Green roofs are stepping stones for local biodiversity The sloping green roofs act as green stepping stones for the surrounding area. The nearby surroundings are very green, with a park and bioswales. This green zone is now extended to the roofs. This means that birds, bees and other insects can easily find their way around, and can use the roofs as refuge and a source of food. These green roofs therefore make an important contribution to promoting biodiversity in the urban environment. Dirk van Tillaar, project manager of Area Housing Corporation: “We did not realise beforehand that this would have such an impact on the surrounding area.” Installing green roofs in winter These types of green roofs can be installed almost all year round, except during periods of frost. So it is not surprising that the installation of the green roofs took place in winter. Even during snowfall, the installation went on as usual for the most part, as the Sedum plants can withstand the cold. To keep the sloping green roofs beautiful year-round, even during dry and hot summers, the roofs are equipped with drip lines after the substrate was applied, in order to administer water during prolonged dry periods. In addition, the roofs are equipped with a fall protection device so that any maintenance required can be carried out safely. Contact: Sempergreen.com Watch video here. Credits: Wallaard Vegetatiedaken © Sempergreen  © Sempergreen  © Sempergreen  © wallaard vegetatiedaken

USEFUL WGIN BOOKS

MUST READS

Multifunctional Urban Green Infrastructure

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Green Cities in the World Book 1

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Green Cities in the World Book 2

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Vertical Urban Agriculture Book

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LATEST

EU CHAPTER

Briefing for MEPs | Making European Cities more Resilient through Urban Green Infrastructures

11/14/2024

The European Chapter of the WGIN is publishing a new policy briefing entitled “Making European Cities more Resilient through Urban Green Infrastructures”. The paper intends to explain the challenges cities are facing and will be increasingly confronted with as a result of extreme weather events and how to support their adaptation to climate change. In that context, this briefing demonstrates how urban green infrastructures, namely green roofs and walls, are key solutions to enable an increased resilience of urban areas while providing many accompanying benefits for their inhabitants such as stormwater management, the restoration of biodiversity in cities, reducing pollutants’ concentrations and increasing residents’ wellbeing. Concrete examples are provided to showcase these benefits. The briefing also explains why urban green infrastructures are central for several upcoming EU initiatives, in particular the European Climate Adaptation Plan and the European Water Resilience Strategy, and provides a few suggestions to boost the deployment of urban green infrastructures in the new EU political mandate. Read the full paper here.

GoNaturePositive! launches an open consultation on the Nature-Positive Economy

10/22/2024

GoNaturePositive! is a collaborative initiative backed by the European Commission dedicated to accelerating awareness and transformative action towards a nature-positive economy among policymakers, investors, businesses and wider society. Its consortium has launched an open consultation on the Nature-Positive Economy. This initiative aims to foster prosperity while protecting and restoring the natural environment upon which we all depend. By promoting a Nature-Positive Economy, we seek to create new opportunities for innovation, job creation, and food security, all while mitigating our vulnerability to nature loss. Luigi Petito, Head of the WGIN EU Chapter Secretariat, is a member of the GoNaturePositive! Impact Board, helping to refine the key points that outline the essential elements of what a nature-positive economy could look like. Businesses, policymakers and citizens are encouraged to take part in this dialogue by sharing their insights and feedback before 30 November 2024 through this link: bit.ly/4hpkMFk. To learn more about GoNaturePositive and how you can get involved, you can visit their consultation page: Welcome to the GoNaturePositive! Consultation.

Making Europe’s Built Environment Greener, Healthier and more Resilient

07/23/2024

In the past political mandate, the EU has pursued legislation to combat climate change, restore nature, and promote circularity, aiming for climate neutrality by 2050, as part of the European Green Deal. This led to significant improvements when it comes to the inclusion of urban green and blue infrastructures in EU energy and climate policies. Now, the 2024-2029 EU term must drive the structural transformation of cities from grey to green. In this context, the new WGIN EU Chapter is publishing the briefing “Making Europe’s built environment greener, healthier and more resilient” that provides an overview of the developments for green and blue infrastructure in EU policies in the past political mandate as well as recommendations to support their deployment over the next five years. The paper explains the importance of green infrastructure for the future of Europe’s cities and their crucial role in any future EU urban policies. Read the full publication here.

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61st IFLA World Congress to be held from September 10th – 12th in Nantes, France

As part of WGIN’s ongoing collaboration with The International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) we are pleased to announce the 61st IFLA World Congress, organized in partnership with the French Federation of Landscape Architects (FFP, Fédération Française du Paysage.) The event will run from September 10th – 12th 2025 at La Cité des Congrès in Nantes, France. The IFLA World Congress is the most important annual event for the landscape architecture profession and the IFLA community. In 2025, the Organising Committee has chosen the theme GUIDING LANDSCAPES: planning, designing and managing new resilient urban neighbourhoods, reorganising public space by reopening land, increasing rainwater infiltration and developing urban biodiversity to cool cities are all key issues. The congress will bring together 1,200 landscape architects, urban planners and decision-makers from over 50 countries. WGIN encourages the green infrastructure community to join IFLA2025 for inspiring lectures, discussions, study visits, networking and social events! Please share and circulate this information among your colleagues. KEY DATES Call for Abstracts starts: Submit your abstract now! Registration opens: mid February 2025 Abstract submission deadline: 15 March 2025 Notification of abstract selection: 15 April 2025 Deadline for authors registration: 15 May 2025 Early bird registration deadline: 15 June 2025 Standard registration deadline: 25 July 2025.

World Congress on Green Roofs and Façades | Call for Papers

  Climate adaptation and the greening of cities is the order of the day. Which strategies and measures in roof and façade greening are proving to be effective and successful? Challenges lead to solutions and new strategies, technical innovations and developments, which will be presented and discussed at a scientific, practice-oriented congress. The congress will take place at the University of Basel, in the historic Kollegiengebäude. Contributions will be offered in the technical field of green roofs and façades, on building ecology topics, on research and on the development of new strategies and as an instrument of ecological urban planning. The World Congress on Green Roofs and Green Façades on June 5 and 6, 2025 will offer an information platform and be a driving force for establishing the promotion, research and development of green roofs and façades worldwide. Call for papers is now open until January 15 2024. Submit your paper and find more information here: Call for Papers | ZHAW Institute of Natural Resource Sciences IUNR Visit the congress website for more information: World Green Roof and Facades Congress 2025 | Organized by ZHAW

iCARI Conferences: More Climate Resilient Cities 2024

More Climate Resilience Cities will take place on 22-23 October in Bratislava, Slovakia. This conference focuses on Climate Change Adaptation, with a spotlight on the CEE region. Featuring speakers and attendees from multiple continents, this event showcases cutting-edge science, research, and practical innovations. Attendees will gain insights into the latest practices, successful case studies, and project financing methods. Experience impactful presentations and stunning LCD projections in an intimate atmosphere. For those unable to attend in person, the conference will be streamed live on YouTube for registered participants, and all presentations will be available on our YouTube channel. All content, including live streams and YouTube videos, will be professionally translated. The conference addresses the following key areas: Climate Change: Strategies, Policies, Adaptation planning to cope with and mitigate ongoing impacts. Green Infrastructure: Creating cool zones, improving air quality, and enhancing energy efficiency. Blue Infrastructure: Promoting rainwater harvesting, enhancing water resilience, and innovative water retention. Green-Blue Infrastructure Synergy: Amplifying adaptation measures, reducing energy consumption, and improving water management. Climatically sustainable wooden buildings: Modern wooden buildings, Multi-storey wooden buildings, and Civil buildings. Urban Planning: Integrating climate adaptation into urban development to create resilient cities. Buildings: Focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable practices, and reducing emissions. Energy Efficiency: Investigating innovative technologies, reducing GHG emissions, and linking with green and blue infrastructure. Waste Management: Addressing and integrating waste produced from other focus areas for holistic sustainability. Join for a comprehensive exploration of these critical topics and contribute to advancing effective climate adaptation strategies.The conference will also announce the results of the famous Green Roof of the Year competition. Winners will be recognized for their contributions to sustainable development and innovations in green roofing. Find more information in iCARI’s website: https://www.icari.eu/conference

WGIN AWARDS 2024

The WGIN Awards ceremony took place in Auckland, New Zealand on 3-5 September, during the World Green Infrastructure Congress 2024. The WGIN was thrilled to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the for World Green Infrastructure Awards. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in sustainable urban design and environmental stewardship. After eight months of diligent work by our six-member working committee and a rigorous judging process involving 30 judges from 4 continents and 25 countries across 20 sessions, we have selected the top projects, research, and policies in each of our six categories. Read the press release here.  WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS 2024 Category 1: Green Roofs Winner: Boronggook Drysdale Library – Sloping Green Roof, (Drysdale, Australia)  Honorable Mention:Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden (Chicago, Americas) Category 2: Green Walls Winner: The Standard – Fire Compliant Green Wall (Brisbane, Australia)  Honorable Mention: Badouzi Restaurant – Indoor Waterfall Green Wall (Yunlin, Taiwan) Category 3: Green Neighborhood scale and on-grade Winner: Tarralla Creek Wetlands (Croydon Australia)  Honorable Mention: Forest Green Campus (Warsaw, Poland) Honorable Mention: Wadanggari Park (St Leonards, Australia).   Category 4: Green Infrastructure Policy Winner: The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and The EU Nature Restoration Regulation.Honorable Mention: Toronto Green Roof Bylaw (Toronto, Canada) Category 5: Green Infrastructure Research and Academic work Winner: “Hort Innovation and Green Roof Research” coordinated by Professor Nicholas William from the University of Melbourne, Australia, with a team of researchers and experts from public and private institutions. Honorable Mention: “Thermal Performance of Green Walls and Roofs” coordinated by Abdollah Baghaei, Massey University, New Zealand. Category 6: Green Infrastructure student posters Winner: “Aitken Creek Oasis: Climate-Resilient Suburban Design and Biodiversity Restoration” (Melbourne, Australia).