[Source: AIPH] AIPH is proud to announce the Winners of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022. The announcement of the 6 Category Winners and the Grand Winner was made at a dedicated Awards ceremony which took place at a special gala dinner at the IUCN Leaders Forum in the Self-Governing Province of Jeju, Republic of Korea on 14^th October 2022.

The most prestigious award of the Inaugural 2022 edition, the Grand Winner, was presented to the city who was voted by the Jury to demonstrate the highest capacity for influence, replicability, and scope to inspire change in their entry. In making their decision, members of the Jury were invited to consider the following question:

“The AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 enables winning cities achieve greater recognition for their inspiring initiatives – in light of this, which entry do you feel may have the biggest transformational impact?”

It is AIPH’s great honour and privilege to present the award for the Grand Winner of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 to: The City of Hyderabad, India for their entry titled “Green Garland to the State of Telangana”

On behalf of the network of partners for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022, AIPH congratulates the City of Hyderabad for receiving this incredible accolade!

View the case study of the Grand Winner here.

“AIPH celebrates this fantastic achievement for the City of Hyderabad. We are proud to showcase their inspiring urban greening work. With this global recognition, we can confidently say that Hyderabad is a world leader in nature-oriented approaches to city design, form, and function,” says Mr. Tim Briercliffe, Secretary General, AIPH. “The innovation, ambition, and inspiring action demonstrated in the City’s entry leaves a powerful legacy for other cities from around the world to aspire to.”

The Grand Winner was selected from the list of six Category Winners, who each took home the trophies in recognition of their achievement. AIPH and partners proudly present the six Category Winners as follows:

Living Green for Biodiversity: Reverdecer Bogotá, Bogota D.C, Colombia

Living Green for Climate Change: Mexico City’s Environmental and Climate Change Program, Mexico City, Mexico

Living Green for Health and Wellbeing: Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks, City of Fortaleza, Brazil

Living Green for Water: The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life, City of Montreal, Canada

Living Green for Social Cohesion: OASIS Schoolyard Project, City of Paris, France

Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth: Green Garland to the State of Telangana, City of Hyderabad, India

“The AIPH World Green City Awards recognise inspiring leadership and successful action on the key issues that face cities in being sustainable, and delivering for nature, climate and people,” says Dr Bruno Oberle, Director General of IUCN. “The breadth of action being taken by the winners shows the crucial role healthy ecosystems have in providing the solutions that cities need to thrive far into the future.”

All eligible entries were assessed and scored, and the winners selected through a two-stage judging process. Following the first round of judging by the Technical Panel, a list of 18 Finalists was delivered to the world-renowned 2022 Awards Jury. The Jury, in the second stage of judging, was tasked with voting for a winner in each of the six categories, and then selecting the Grand Winner from these six Category winners.

All 18 finalist cities were presented with Highly Commended certificates and six more cities were presented with Certificates of Merit at the Awards ceremony. Case studies from all finalist cities, including the category winners, are available in the AIPH Green City Case Study Library.

This highly anticipated announcement of the 2022 winners, AIPH and partners bring the inaugural edition of the world’s first global Green City awards to a close. The resounding success of the 2022 edition has set the stage for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024.  AIPH and IUCN also announced a new collaboration to support the 2024 Awards at the 2022 ceremony in Jeju. The 2024 edition will see AIPH and the growing network of partners recognise and celebrate the work of an even broader variety of inspiring cities from around the world who are champions for the power of plants and nature.

To express your city’s interest in entering and to be informed when entries open for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2024, click here.

To receive the latest news on the AIPH World Green City Awards and other Green City activities, AIPH invites you to subscribe to the AIPH Global Green City Update here.

Thank you to category sponsors Expo 2021 Hatay and Biblo for their support of the inaugural AIPH World Green City awards.

AIPH is also grateful to the network of partners for their ongoing support – Biophilic Cities, Cities & Health, CitiesWithNature, European Federation of Green Roof & Green Wall Associations (EFB), The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), Greener Spaces Better Places, #NatureForAll, Salzburg Global Seminar, The Nature of Cities (TNoC), Trees for Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Urban Biodiversity Hub (UBHub), World Urban Parks, Youth AIPH Announces Winning Cities for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022.

[Source: AIPH] The International Association of Horticultural Producers, AIPH, is proud to announce the shortlist of eighteen entries from cities around the world for the first edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards. In each of the six Awards Categories, the Technical Panel of Judges selected the three top scoring entries for this prestigious list.

“We are thrilled to be showcasing excellence in city greening from cities around the world,” said Tim Briercliffe, AIPH Secretary General. “As we reach this very exciting milestone, AIPH is confident that the first ever AIPH World Green City Awards is a resounding success, leaving a legacy that will shine through in future editions. Congratulations to each and every one of the shortlisted cities. We proudly celebrate this amazing achievement with you.”

The 2022 AIPH World Green City Awards Shortlist of entries per category is proudly announced as follows:

Living Green for Biodiversity

Addressing the loss of species, habitats, ecosystem health, and genetic diversity

Reverdecer Bogotá

Bogota D.C., Colombia

Act Local, Contribute Global to World Biodiversity Conservation

Town of Victoria Park, Australia

Ville de Paris- DEVE

City of Paris, France

Living Green for Climate Change

Tackling the root causes and effects of climate change to build more liveable and resilient cities

Peynircioglu Stream Ecological Restoration Project

City of Izmir, Turkey

Grey to Green

City of Melbourne, Australia

Mexico City's Environmental and Climate Change Program

Mexico City, Mexico

Living Green for Health and Wellbeing

Addressing the medical, behavioural, and social determinants of health for residents

Transforming degraded land into Urban Micro Parks

City of Fortaleza, Brazil

Utrecht Green and Healthy City

City of Utrecht, Netherlands

Sunvale Community Park

City of Brimbank, Australia

Living Green for Water

Ensuring that water resources are safeguarded and wisely used, with clean water available to all while also protecting residents from flooding risks

The Phytotechnology Stations at the Montréal Botanical Garden / Space for Life

City of Montreal, Canada

Creating a Green City

Logan City Council, Australia

uMhlathuze Water Stewardship Partnership

City of uMhlathuze, South Africa

Living Green for Social Cohesion

Fostering belonging, trust and inter-generational as well as cross-cultural relationships to prevent exclusion, marginalisation and violence

Socio-urban integration in the midst of an ecological reserve: The case of Rodrigo Bueno

City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sunchoenman Bay Wetland Conservation Project

Suncheon City, South Korea

OASIS Schoolyard Project

City of Paris, France

Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth

Creating systems and solutions that allow all city residents to overcome economic distress and thrive

The 2020-2030 Master Plan for the Conservation, Improvement and Development of Parc Jean-Drapeau

City of Montreal, Canada

Transformation of "Beltway to Green Belt"

City of Mashhad, Iran

Green Necklace to the State of Telangana

City of Hyderabad, India

"Addressing the multiple challenges cities face"

The shortlist of entries is presented on behalf of the Technical Panel by the six Category Leads to the 2022 Awards Jury who will identify one winner for each category, as well as the overall AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 winner.

“After reviewing the submissions for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022, I was amazed at not only the commitment to building green cities but the creativity and expression of local culture that was at the core of the submissions,” said Grant Pearsall, Urban Ecological Planner, Edmonton, Canada (Technical Panel member).

In addition to selecting the shortlist, the Technical Panel has made non-category-specific nominations to be considered by the Jury for Highly Commended Awards. These Highly Commended Awards are given to city entries that did not score highly enough to make the shortlist, but which demonstrate a particularly innovative and inspiring approach.

“The spread of very different entries is an indication of the wide range of initiatives, with plants at their heart, that are addressing the multiple challenges cities face due to climate change and the ecological emergency. This initiative by AIPH encourages cities to demonstrate the range of innovative urban nature-based solutions that are possible,” said Marcus Grant, Editor-in-Chief, Cities & Health (Technical Panel Category Lead, Health and Wellbeing).

Each eligible entry was assessed and scored by members of the Technical Panel against the following judging criteria:

•                     Vision: the initiative should be bold and include a fresh new model for using and/or delivering nature-orientated solution(s).

•                     Significance: the initiative should be designed to address a serious local problem or set of problems.

•                     Implementation: the initiative should have achieved or be well on its way to achieving its stated objective(s) and/or desirable outcomes.

•                     Learning and Transferability: the initiative should have generated some learning content or mechanisms that enable enhanced local practice in the future and/or offer potential for customised replication in other cities.

•                     Resilience: The initiative should be mindful of its impact on the planet and of its ability to be sustained over time.

“To create a healthy and happy urban life we need to include plants and nature in our cities. The 2022 entries for the AIPH World Green City Awards show that cities are taking action to showcase the value of living green. This is truly an inspiration for many other cities,” said Judith van der Poel, Director, Niek Roozen Landscape (Technical Panel member).

To learn more about the exciting initiatives by the shortlisted cities, click here.

“The AIPH Awards program is an important initiative to recognize outstanding worldwide contributors and projects that are transforming our world into a greener and healthier place,” said Michael von Hausen, President, MVH Urban Planning & Design Inc., Adjunct Prof., Simon Fraser University + University of Vancouver Island (Technical Panel member).

Looking ahead, AIPH will profile city entries as case studies to inspire other cities around the world to take action for plants and nature. AIPH celebrates each and every city entry as a leader in urban greening, and a champion of the green city principles.

All winners will be announced at a gala event in September/October 2022. The date and venue for this event will be announced soon. AIPH and partners will also launch the 2024 edition of the World Green City Awards at this gala event. To stay in the loop and receive further news about the AIPH World Green City Awards direct to your inbox, subscribe to the AIPH Global Green City Update here.

AIPH is grateful to the network of partners for their ongoing support for the AIPH World Green City Awards – Biophilic Cities, Cities & Health, CitiesWithNature, European Federation of Green Roof & Green Wall Associations (EFB), The Global Taskforce of Local and Regional Governments (GTF), Greener Spaces Better Places, #NatureForAll, Salzburg Global Seminar, The Nature of Cities (TNoC), Trees for Cities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Urban Biodiversity Hub (UBHub), Urban Land Institute, World Urban Parks, Youth Climate Leaders, and 8 80 Cities. Thank you also to sponsor Expo 2021 Hatay and media partners Cities Today, FloraCulture International, and Host City.

[Source: AIPH, 8th March) The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) gave its approval for a Category B International Horticultural Exhibition in the city of Udon Thani, Thailand for 2026.

The approval took place at the AIPH General Meeting on 8 March in accordance with the AIPH Regulations for International Horticultural Exhibitions.

Thrilled to gain approval

The Governor of Udon Thani, Mr Siam Sirimongkol, is thrilled to learn that their city has gained full support.

Mr Sirimongkol says: “As the agricultural business and trading centre of the Greater Mekong Region, Udon Thani is exceptionally proud to bring AIPH’s International Horticultural Expo back to Thailand. The event will be called ‘The Garden of Mekong’ to celebrate the abundance of the Mekong wetland, where people are blessed with biodiversity and harmony. This prestigious global event with the central theme “Diversity of Life: People, Water and Plants” will bring well-deserved attention to our fertile but fragile land on the great international river where our ancestors have learnt co-living for millennia.

“We are aiming to achieve at least 13 out of 17 UN Sustainability Development Goals, with this Expo. Udon Thani will be delighted to welcome our friends of the Mekong, the ASEAN community and the people across the globe to visit the Expo.

“The 164.8-hectares expo site encompasses a small lake to showcase the mesmerising Mekong wetland. We hope the world will get to know the diversity along the Mekong and be inspired by our sustainable way of living.”

A world stage to promote the relationship between people and plants

AIPH Secretary General, Mr Tim Briercliffe, says: “Expo 2026 will introduce Udon Thani and the horticulture of this region to the global stage. The event will create opportunities to exchange knowledge and technological advancement as well as promoting city greening and the importance of the relationship between people and plants.”

The approval for Udon-Thani International Horticultural Expo 2026 comes after a successful site inspection in February and an excellent presentation by the Udon Thani Expo organising team at the AIPH Expo Conference on 7 March.

A commitment to sustainable living

AIPH approved the Thai proposal for the International Horticultural Expo 2026 will be hosted in Udon Thani province from 1 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. The inspiration for the Expo’s theme “Diversity of Life: Connecting Water, Plants, and People” reflects the unique wetland area and the people living here. Their connection with the water and natural resources and the need to promote sustainable living will be the Expo’s main goal.

Presenting Udon Thani Expo’s proposal to host an International Horticultural Expo at the AIPH Spring Meeting was H.E. Dr Chalermchai Sree-on, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. He is head of the Thai delegation.

He expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Thai government to the AIPH members for the trust and support given to Thailand and cited the success upon a fruitful collaboration among various government agencies and private organisations, led by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

According to Dr Chalermchai, Thailand is committed to contributing to global food security through the Three Sustainable ‘3S’ farming and food policy, which brings attention to Food Safety, Food Security, and Sustainability. This declaration is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while adhering to the climate aspiration of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Such commitment can serve the theme and presentation of the Expo in Udon Thani and will help shed light on sustainability innovations, and, inspire and ignite collaboration on global actionable measures towards sustainability living with minimal cost to the ecosystem.

Guaranteeing a diverse display of cultures and floras

Mr Sirimongkol reaffirmed the city’s readiness to ensure the success of the Expo. He says: “The Udon Thani Expo 2026 will be the first International Horticultural Expo ever held in a wetland area. Furthermore, the province’s status as the gateway to the Greater Mekong Subregion and a transportation and economic hub of the area will guarantee a diverse display of cultures and floras befitting the theme.”

Mr Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), who represented Thailand in the official bid for the Expo, expressed Thailand’s confidence in hosting the landmark global event, portraying the success of the past two horticultural expos hosted by Thailand in Chiang Mai province.

He also emphasised the government’s development strategy and national agenda to promote the Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model (BCG) as a new development model that seeks to drive socio-economic growth while minimizing and even reversing the negative impacts on the environment. The strategy will be of great contribution to Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo 2026.

The Udon Thani Expo 2026 is expected to cost 2,500 million baht in investment and attract 3.6 million visitors over 134 days during the expo.

For more information about Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo 2026, and future forthcoming AIPH approved International Horticultural Expos visit www.aiph.org/expos.

[Source: AIPH] AIPH is the world’s champion for the power of plants. The inaugural edition of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022 recognises city-led initiatives relying on a greater use of plants and nature to create better and greener city environments – helping to fulfil local aspirations for improved economic, social and environmental resilience. With the deadline for submission of entries on 14^th March 2022, AIPH invites all cities, large and small, to showcase their “living green” and demonstrate that they are champions for the power of plants.

“Plants are at the core of stabilizing our ecosystems and humanity has only recently begun to understand the multitude of benefits they can provide”- Mr. Pavel Dostal, CEO at GreenVille & Vice President of the EFB

Cities are only a few short steps away from submitting an entry. Registering a city profile starts the simple process and gives you access to the online portal to compile your entry and make your final submission online. A step-by-step guide to entering the AIPH World Green City Awards contains all the information cities need to progress along this exciting journey. There is still time to join the growing number of leading cities who are actively preparing their entries and reap the benefits of this exciting opportunity. Show the world how plants and nature have transformed your city.

“Local and regional governments have a pivotal role to play in developing nature-based solutions and inclusion of plants in an urban environment. The Awards will be the moment to celebrate those success stories from our members around the world”- Ms. Emilia Saiz, Secretary General of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).

The AIPH World Green City Awards are designed to celebrate and champion ambitious nature-orientated approaches to city design and operation. The 2022 edition is offered in six categories, with awards presented to the best entry in each category, and with one overall AIPH World Green City winner. Cities can submit multiple entries in more than one category to increase their chances of being chosen as a winner by the esteemed technical panel and jury. There is no cost for cities to register or to enter the Awards, and there are many benefits, which you can read about here. 

AIPH has partnered with leading organisations and city networks to bring the AIPH World Green City Awards to life: the first global cities awards where plants and nature are the core focus.

“Having promoted the sustainable development of cities for many years, Host City is proud to be a partner among this prestigious group” said Ben Avison, Editorial & Conference Director of Host City. “We commend AIPH for their leadership in recognising positive action through the World Green City Awards.”

As a global urban community, we stand together at a critical moment in the history of our planet. As our cities grow exponentially and nature continues to diminish at unprecedented rates, now is our time to take ambitious action and transform our cities into greener, healthier, and more liveable places where both humans and nature thrive in harmony.

The solutions to the complex challenges that our cities face come from nature. There has never been a better time to harness the power of plants. As we stand together, united by a common vision, the AIPH World Green City Awards aims to enable accelerated action by cities, both in 2022, the critical year for nature, and in the coming Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.

The AIPH World Green City Awards are well within reach for all cities who are committed to shaping a greener future. AIPH and partners call on cities from around the world to act now. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to lead the way and inspire a global movement for greener cities. For more information or to enter, click here.

By entering the AIPH World Green City Awards, everyone wins- Cities, People, and Planet. Please read the Frequently Asked Questions. The AIPH Green City team is available to assist cities every step of the way. For assistance or support, please contact greencity@aiph.org.

AIPH International Horticultural Expos showcase beauty and creativity, with a magnificent Expo Park attracting many international participants, who build their pavilions lasting up to six months. The sites range from the smallest of 25 hectares to the largest of 500 hectares or more. Organisers spend millions developing these international spectacles that can stimulate the economic development of entire cities and transform the international reputation of hosting regions. 

Each event exposes millions of visitors to the world of horticulture and helps communicate the vital role that plants, flowers and the landscape play in improving the environment and the health and wellbeing of citizens. The Expos stimulate city greening and create better places to live.

From now until 2027, AIPH has approved the following Expos for cities in China, Turkey, Qatar, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Japan. You can see the AIPH-approved Expos calendar at https://aiph.org/expos/calendar/:

A1 World Horticultural Expos

Expo 2022 Floriade, Netherlands, 14 April–9 October 2022. Theme: Growing Green Cities 

Expo 2023 Doha, Qatar, 2 October 2023–28 March 2024. Theme: Green Desert, Better Environment 

World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama, Japan, March–September 2027, Theme: Scenery of the Future for Happiness
 

B International Horticultural Exhibitions

Expo 2021 Yangzhou, China, 8 April–8 October 2021. Theme: Green City, Healthy Life

Expo 2021 Hatay, Turkey, 1 April–30 June 2022. Theme: Garden of Civilisations

Expo 2023 Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, 23 April–31 October 2023. Theme: Nature-Friendly City and Sensitivity

Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo 2023, South Korea, 22 April–22 October 2023. Theme: The Garden of the Earth

International Horticultural Exhibition Chengdu 2024, China, 26 April-28 October 2024. Theme: City in parks and life in poetries

Expo İzmir 2026, Turkey, 1 May-31 October 2026, Theme: Living in Harmony

C International Horticultural Show 

Euroflora 2022, Italy, 23 April until 8 May 2022. Theme: Voyage of Rare Beauty

AIPH ensure Expos are successful through a defined approval and monitoring process and through regulating the number of permitted Expos. This calendar lets you know of the current dates available for your city to host. You can view the bidding calendar at https://aiph.org/expos/bidding-calendar/

Putting Sustainability at the heart of AIPH-approved Expos

We are the world’s champion for the power of plants, and AIPH is committed to a sustainable future in which humanity, technology, and nature exist in a healthy and stable equilibrium.

To cement our dedication to a sustainable future, AIPH has developed a new Sustainability Policy with regulations for Expo Organisers, with the support of Independent Sustainability Expert Mr David Stubbs. He was formerly Head of Sustainability for London 2012 Olympics & Paralympic Games. He has been working with AIPH to help us identify how we can create best practices for Expo Organisers when planning and staging horticultural Expos and continue to ensure they are the world’s most sustainable major events.

Together we identified five thematic areas related to what we do and where we believe we can make the most positive impact:

1. Climate action – using plants and green spaces to support climate adaptation and resilience programmes in urban environments

2. Biodiversity conservation – promoting nature in cities and sustainable horticultural practices worldwide

3. Sustainable sourcing and resource management – adopting circular economy principles, reducing plastic waste and other forms of pollution, supporting efficient production and ethical supply chain management

4. Equity & inclusion – promoting plant growing and green spaces for all, upholding fair and equitable practices across the horticultural value chain, diversity, and human rights

5. Education & awareness raising – engaging, informing, and inspiring people to appreciate the importance of plants and the places where they grow, and to take action to protect and enhance their local environment through plant growing

Through this work, our sustainability strategy will substantially help towards several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Stubbs said, “Having a programme which can support the realisation of some of these goals is a very exciting opportunity for the association.

“AIPH has the ambition for World Horticultural Expos to be recognised as among the world’s most sustainable major events. When you think about how these sites can promote biodiversity conservation and create green legacies, this is a great opportunity. It’s about helping these cities to improve their adaptation and resilience to climate change.

“We must also recognise that putting on these events can create a lot of impacts – waste, construction impacts, congestion – unless they are planned and delivered properly you don’t necessarily realise these benefits. The key to this strategy we are developing is to direct organisers to a much more sustainable approach.”

Stubbs cited the example of the London Olympic Park, which resulted in the cleaning up of a polluted river and industrial land, the use of renewable energy, sustainable materials, nature-friendly features such as streetlights that face away from the river to avoid disturbing bats – and an accessible parkland was created for people to visit and enjoy.”

A recording of this presentation is here: https://youtu.be/cAQfETkwrEc

To view forthcoming Expos visit: https://aiph.org/expos/calendar/

To look back at 60 years of AIPH Expos visit: https://aiph.org/expos/history/

To find out more about AIPH International Horticultural Exhibitions watch: https://youtu.be/y4txnEQ8szc

AIPH Expo Support Programme

The AIPH has a support programme to help stage a World International Horticultural Expo and to bring together experts from different industries, often from outside the host city, to build together and deliver benefits for all before, during and after the Expo. Our Organiser’s Expo Guide is packed full of information. You can find many details, including our regulations and applications on the Exhibitions page on our website.

AIPH would be delighted to discuss the opportunity to host an expo, so please do speak to our AIPH Senior International Relations Manager treve.evans@aiph.org

“AIPH is interesting for me because it’s committed to using knowledge of the power of plants for a sustainable future,” David Stubbs told the AIPH Expo Conference on 19 October.

“For me, that’s all about urban greening, and comes back to my early passion around biodiversity and creating good viable spaces for people’s health and well-being; it’s good for climate action and it’s a fantastic platform for spreading awareness.”

Early in his career, Stubbs was involved in a survey of all green spaces in London, through which he discovered that golf courses take up 3 per cent of the Greater London area. This led to more work in the sports sector, including his role as Director of Sustainability at the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Since then, Stubbs has worked in the field of major event sustainability for rights holders including the IOC, FIFA, F1 and World Economic Forum – and earlier this year he started working with AIPH - the global approving body for International Horticultural Expos - to develop their sustainability strategy.

Together they identified five policy themes where AIPH can make most difference, starting with climate action. Stubbs cited the recent IPCC reports tracking progress on meeting the Paris accord target of global warming of no more than 1.5 degrees.

“We are not on track to meet that and you can see the evidence all over the world through floods, droughts, forest fires and sea level rises – there are so many impacts of climate change that are happening all over. If through using plants and green spaces we can support climate adaptation and resilience programmes in urban environments, that will be a really important thing to do.

Linked to climate action is the biodiversity agenda, which promotes nature in cities and sustainable horticultural practices worldwide.

“Beyond that let’s look at sourcing and resource management. Think of all the materials that become waste or other forms of pollution, how we can become more efficient and create better policies towards the sourcing, use, disposing and reuse of these materials – it’s a circular economy approach.

“There’s also an important people dimension about equity and inclusion, making sure these green spaces are accessible by all. It’s also about upholding fair and equitable practices across the value chain, supporting diversity and human rights within the industry.

“Finally there’s education and awareness raising. Through green spaces, horticultural shows and green city initiatives we can inform people and inspire them about the role of plants and how it all links to biodiversity, climate action and the other themes.”

These policy themes will be implemented across a number of action areas. These include advancing sustainable practices in expos, making sure they are used to promote biodiversity and create legacies. Other action areas include providing help in the form of best practice guidance and trying to get urban areas more environmentally friendly through green city initiatives.

Through this work, the AIPH strategy will substantially help towards a number of the UN sustainable development goals.

“Having a programme which can support the realisation of some of these goals is a very exciting opportunity for the association.

“AIPH has the ambition for World Horticultural Expos to be recognised as among the world’s most sustainable major events. This is a great opportunity, when you think about how these sites can promote biodiversity conservation and create green legacies. It’s about helping these cities to improve their adaptation and resilience to climate change.

“We must also recognise that putting on these events can create a lot of impacts – waste, construction impacts, congestion – unless they are planned and delivered properly you don’t necessarily realise these benefits. The key to this strategy we are developing is to direct organisers to a much more sustainable approach.”

Stubbs cited the example of the London Olympic Park, which resulted in the cleaning up of a polluted river and industrial land, the use of renewable energy, sustainable materials, nature-friendly features such as streetlights that face away from the river to avoid disturbing bats – and an accessible parkland was created for people to visit and enjoy.

Biodiversity-enhancing features of the park include reedbeds, woodlands and microhabitats. It also serves as a flood alleviation site, absorbing large quantities of water to prevent flooding downstream.

“Plant Expos are like Olympic Parks – the horticultural elements were a big part of the Games,” Stubbs said.

Watch the full presentation here

AIPH is the global approving body for International Horticultural Expos. To find out more, please visit https://aiph.org/expos/

[Source: AIPH] AIPH strongly believes that the correct use of plants and the landscape in cities plays a critical role in the fight against climate change and all its associated impacts. It is proven that greener cities make healthier citizens and stimulate social and economic development.

The AIPH World Green City Awards celebrate the inclusion of plant life and nature into city design, planning and function and applaud the leaders of this growing movement.

Bernard Oosterom, President, AIPH says, “It is imperative that we embrace a nature-orientated approach to city design and operation. Through the AIPH World Green City Awards, we promote the essential role of plants in creating vibrant urban areas in which people and businesses can thrive. We are calling on city authorities all over the world to showcase what they have done and how they have used ‘Living Green’ to make their cities better for all residents, more sustainable, and more resilient.”

Entries are invited from city governments and relevant organisations around the world that promote and support ‘Living Green’ in their plans. Cities will be celebrated through six categories: Health and wellbeing, Climate change, Economic recovery and inclusive growth, Biodiversity, Water and Social cohesion.

Supporting the Awards, Tim Beatley of Biophilic Cities says:

“The importance of nature in our urban lives has never been clearer. Nature can’t just be an afterthought. It must be the central design and planning principle.

We need to recognise and celebrate those cities around the world that are investing in nature, and that understand and see nature as an essential ingredient in happy, healthy, and meaningful lives.

I am excited that for the first time there will be a global award that shines a light on those most exemplary green cities. We believe this award will play an important role in accelerating the global biophilic and green cities movement.”

We want to celebrate every city that, like AIPH, is a champion for the power of plants - Enter the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022.

Visit aiph.org/green-city/green-city-awards

Register an expression of interest to receive application documentation Register your interest in the AIPH World Green City Awards

AIPH is grateful to our AIPH World Green City Awards Partners 2022  Biophilic Cities, Cities & Health, Trees For Cities , The Nature of Cities , ICLEI CitiesWithNature  and  Urban Land Institute. Thank you to our Media Partners FloraCulture International and Host City.

During the first lockdown, many people took to making their own worlds beautiful by growing plants to help cope with the uncertainty. A vast body of scientific research shows us growing plants enhances lives, advances societies, and will sustain our planet, for this generation and the next.

The International Association of Horticultural Producers: AIPH is a non-profit organisation that has been pursuing key activities to support the global ornamental horticulture industry since 1948.

AIPH approves the most exceptional horticultural exhibitions

In addition to being the world’s champion for the power of plants, we have a mandate by international convention to be the international body responsible for approving the world’s most exceptional horticultural exhibitions.

AIPH approval has been the pre-requisite for a horticultural Expo to receive the recognition of the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) since 1960.

The most recent World Horticultural Expo was in Beijing, China, in 2019. It attracted over nine million visitors. Currently, we have approved seven expos between 2021 and 2027 in Europe and Asia.

Horticultural expos can vary from 25 to 500 hectares in size and last 5 to 6 months. Expos in Europe tend to attract 2 – 4 million visitors, whereas those in Asia tend to draw 5 – 10 million. The minimum number of international participants required is 10, but numbers at previous expos have been between 10 and over 100.

At our AIPH conferences, held twice a year internationally, cities seek AIPH approval to stage these spectacular events, often as part of a city development or regeneration programme. In September of this year, we hosted a virtual online conference, with delegates participating from every continent of the world made up of host cities, potential host cities, AIPH Members, horticultural industry representatives, major event service providers and the media.

AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe says: “The pandemic has created real challenges for organisers of major events like Expos but it has also highlighted the importance of green spaces and leisure experiences to improving quality of life. During 2020 Expo organisers have continued to prepare their events and new applications from cities around the world demonstrates the importance they attach to creating greener places to live and making better cities for the future.”

The following A1 World Horticultural Expos gave progress report presentations:

• Expo 2022 Floriade Amsterdam Almere (the Netherlands)
• Expo 2023 Doha Qatar
• World Horticultural Exhibition 2027 Yokohama (Japan)

And the following cities preparing B category International Horticultural Exhibitions followed:

• Expo 2021 Hatay (Turkey)
• 2021 Yangzhou International Horticultural Exhibition (China)
• Expo 2023 Kahramanmaras (Turkey)
• Suncheon International Garden Expo 2023 (South Korea)

As part of their application process for AIPH approval, the conference also received presentations from Chengdu (China), Izmir (Turkey) and Quang Binh (Vietnam), all seeking to host B category International Horticultural Exhibitions in the coming years. 

AIPH spreads awareness of the need for city greening

Green City is not just a faraway notion; there is a growing imperative to address climate change, air pollution, biodiversity, mental health, and social cohesion and the development of green cities will help balance these needs. 

Horticultural Expos are significant events for the national and international promotion of a host city. These events boost tourism, culture, business development, sustainability and green credentials, as well as the local and national horticulture industry. They especially encourage creative green space development and the importance of plants in our society and for our well-being. 

One of the pre-requisites for Horticultural Expo approval from AIPH stipulates the host city must demonstrate a genuine commitment to becoming an internationally recognised green city. 

AIPH Technical Advisor, Dr Audrey Gerber, says: “AIPH Expos attract millions of people. When they visit an Expo people see how plants play an essential role in many aspects of life. Home gardens contribute significantly to urban greening with much of the land in cities being privately owned or managed. We need individuals and communities to contribute to urban greening to make sure that our cities are liveable and resilient.”

Horticultural Expos create a lasting and beneficial legacy for the host 

In 2019, AIPH commissioned MI Associates, specialists in major events, to provide an event asset valuation of Category A1 and B Expos through a combination of research, economic modelling and strategic input. 

MI employed a direct expenditure methodology to calculate the projected expo economic impact. The metrics used were from the following data to create these projections: Attendance; Visitors; Visitor spend; Visitor nights, and Valuation. Also, MI identified and performed an evaluation of the non-economic and legacy benefits provided by these expos.

In the concluding report, Blooming Economies, the following conclusions focused on the Institutional Capacity Legacy. 

,

AIPH Expo Support Programme

The AIPH has a support programme to help stage a World International Horticultural Expo and to bring together experts from different industries, often from outside the host city, to build together and deliver benefits for all before, during and after the Expo. Our Organiser’s Expo Guide is packed full of information. You can find many details, including our regulations and applications on the Exhibitions page on our website.

AIPH would be delighted to discuss the opportunity to host an expo, so please do speak to our AIPH Senior International Relations Manager treve.evans@aiph.org