Greener cities, brighter future

Nature’s role in urban resilience

By Michael Casey

At the Future Green City World Congress, experts explored how urban greening enhances health, sustainability, and resilience while addressing the key challenges of designing modern cities.

This year’s Future Green City World Congress took place in Utrecht, Netherlands, and exceeded expectations with its vibrant atmosphere, engaging people, and inspiring urban greening projects.

The four-day event attracted over 1,200 visitors from nearly 60 countries and featured over 200 speakers. It offered a comprehensive exploration of greening the built environment, leaving attendees impressed by the innovative solutions and international collaboration on display.

The congress truly highlighted the global momentum towards creating sustainable, future-ready cities. Organised by the Royal Association Stadswerk and the Royal Dutch Association of Landscapers and Gardeners (VHG) in collaboration with World Urban Parks (WUP) and the International Federation of Municipal Engineering (IFME) this event ensured it provided ample information for professionals across all disciplines.

The event started off with all congress visitors registering for various field trips across the Netherlands. From visiting the green Railway Park Tilburg, the challenges of Gouda as a sinking city to the transformation of the Amstel III office area in Amsterdam, the first day was surely planned to impress and it did just that. Day one also allowed for the more important meet and greet. As we all know, networking at events is just as important as the forum itself.

On days two and three, the congress began with formal sessions in the main theatre, where delegates heard from key planners and sustainability leaders, including prominent figures from the Netherlands and the City of Utrecht. A highlight was the inspiring address by Utrecht’s councillor, who spoke passionately about her team’s dedication to greening the city and encouraging biking as a more sustainable mode of transport. The rest of the day featured breakout sessions led by global experts in urban greening, with group discussions, workshops, and presentations showcasing various innovative green projects from around the world.

Speakers such as Kongjian Yu, who is one of the most influential urban planners and landscape architects in the world. Yu is best known for his concept of sponge cities, which are designed to store, filter and reuse (abundant) river and rainwater through the construction of green areas. Historian and publicist Ben Wilson, with his bestselling book Urban Jungle, explored the evolving relationship between cities and nature, and his presentation highlighted his many years of work in this field and how this can relate to modern-day cities.

Cecil Konijnendijk, a passionate academic, presented the vital role of trees and nature in improving cities. He introduced the 3:30:300 rule, an evidence-based guideline for urban greening. This rule emphasises that everyone should be able to see three trees from their home, live in a neighbourhood with 30% tree canopy coverage, and have a green space within 300m. This approach aims to ensure that all urban residents can experience nature’s health, climate, and social benefits.

These were just a tiny snapshot of the 200-plus speakers who led four days of workshops, tours, and presentations. My only issue was that there was no way to see all the presentations.

Day four was again filled with tours around the many green projects that Amsterdam and Utrecht had to offer. It also allowed for some valuable catch-up time with the many delegates and presenters we had all shared the previous three days with.

As the Future Green City World Congress wound up, I witnessed how it had profoundly impacted urban greening professionals, including myself. The event’s large turnout and the shared passion among attendees offered both inspiration and reassurance. It highlighted the collective strength of the global community committed to creating healthier, more sustainable cities. My take-home message was that the congress provided valuable insights and fostered a sense of unity, demonstrating the shared dedication to making the world’s cities greener and more liveable for everyone.

Michael Casey

Director of Evergreen Infrastructure

Consultant and advisor to the green infrastructure industry

Sits on the Technical Panel for the AIPH World Green Cities Awards 2024

E: michael@evergreeninfrastructure.com.au

All images supplied by Michael Casey