IFLA Europe highlights the importance of Urban Nature Plans in advancing Europe’s green transition
At the 2025 IFLA Europe General Assembly in Brussels, the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA Europe) recognised ICLEI Europe for its leadership in driving the shift from grey to green infrastructure across the continent. Among the initiatives celebrated was Urban Nature Plans+ (UNP+), a key project supporting cities in working across departments to integrate nature into all aspects of urban policy and design.
UNP+ responds directly to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, which calls for all cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants to prepare Urban Nature Plans. These plans can also play a vital role in helping cities fulfill Article 8 of the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), which sets out the requirement for Member States to restore urban ecosystems and ensure access to quality green space for all.
By helping cities design, implement, and monitor their Urban Nature Plans, UNP+ supports this policy ambition in practice—turning European biodiversity targets into tangible local actions.
Accepting the award, ICLEI Europe Regional Director Matthew Bach underscored the shared vision driving this work:
We are no longer asking if a city looks modern; we are asking if it is resilient. The true measure of innovation today is not steel and concrete, but its integrated living infrastructure. This is the great pivot that unites ICLEI and IFLA Europe. We view Nature-Based Solutions as essential climate infrastructure.
Examples of this approach can already be seen in cities like Burgas, Bulgaria, which is developing its own Urban Nature Plan through UNP+ alongside former and current initiatives such as GoGreenRoutes and Re-Value. Burgas has established a health park near local hospitals, showcasing how urban nature planning can strengthen community wellbeing, biodiversity, and resilience at the same time.
The recognition from IFLA Europe underscores the vital role of Urban Nature Plans in shaping Europe’s next generation of urban policy. By embedding nature at the heart of city planning, UNP+ and related initiatives are helping make the EU’s vision for greener, healthier, and more inclusive cities a reality.
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