AIPH Annual Congress in Bari: Nature at the centre
At the 78th AIPH Annual Congress in Bari, Paris was named Grand Winner of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026, while Andreas Kipar joined international experts to explore how plants, green infrastructure and Nature-Positive design can shape healthier, more resilient cities.
The 78th AIPH Annual Congress brought the international horticultural community to Bari from 13 to 17 September 2026, creating a global platform to exchange knowledge on the future of plants, cities and sustainable production. Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) with Italian host partner ANVE, the Congress combined conferences, professional visits and international awards dedicated to urban greening.
The AIPH Green City Standard
During the opening session “Growing and Greening”, Andreas Kipar explored how trees, plants and green infrastructure can support healthier, more liveable and climate-resilient urban environments.
Watch his contribution to discover how landscape-led thinking can turn green infrastructure into an active driver of urban transformation.
A central moment of the programme was the announcement of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026, which recognise cities placing plants and horticulture at the heart of urban development. From 21 finalists, the winning initiatives demonstrated how Nature-based solutions can address pressing urban challenges, from biodiversity loss and climate adaptation to health, social cohesion and liveability.
Paris was named Grand Winner with its project “Retrofitting Paris into a biodiversity friendly city”, receiving the highest international recognition for its ambition to embed biodiversity across one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
Award presenters for the AIPH World Green City Awards 2026
For LAND, the Congress reaffirmed the value of a landscape-led approach to urban transformation. By connecting design, ecology, community life and long-term urban value, plants and landscapes become active tools for building Nature-Positive cities — places where environmental regeneration and everyday life grow together.
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