Liverpool has been named by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a trailblazer in using green infrastructure to transform its urban environment.
The city is one of just three “front-runner” locations in the EU-funded URBAN GreenUP project, alongside Valladolid in Spain and Izmir in Turkey. The initiative has shown how nature-based solutions can help tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and social well-being challenges in densely populated cities.
Led by Liverpool City Council in partnership with The Mersey Forest and the University of Liverpool, the project focused on strengthening green infrastructure through ecological engineering and forward-thinking urban design.
Among its standout features were living green walls, rain gardens, floating ecosystem islands, pollinator-friendly habitats, and the revitalisation of neglected public spaces. These interventions have helped improve air quality, reduce flood risk, cool urban areas, and boost biodiversity and ecological links across the city.
The IUCN Standard for Nature-based Solutions later assessed the project and highlighted its success, crediting Liverpool’s strong collaboration, adaptive management, and long-term commitment to environmental planning.
Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene, emphasised the importance of co-design and community involvement:
“Our work in Liverpool shows that when cities invest in nature, they invest in the health, resilience, and prosperity of their communities.
“Liverpool serves as a model for other urban centres seeking to integrate nature into their infrastructure and planning.”
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