Archives: Participants

Budapest’s BudaPart at Kopaszi‑gát is a major brownfield waterfront redevelopment on about 54 hectares of former industrial and port land in the 11th district, creating a dense mixed‑use “live‑work‑play” district of housing, offices, hotels, and leisure spaces around a preserved riverside park and bay on the Danube’s Lágymányosi Bay; the developer Kopaszi Gát Zrt. /…

Brno’s Špitálka Smart District is a planned transformation of part of the Teplárny Brno heating‑plant brownfield into the first smart urban district in Czechia, serving as a pilot for the city’s #brno2050 vision. Led by the City of Brno in the EU project RUGGEDISED, it aims to test smart‑city solutions that can later be replicated…

Ellinikon Metropolitan Park is transforming Athens’ former international airport into a smart, sustainable coastal city. What was once concrete runways is now becoming a 200-hectare green space, comparable to Hyde Park and larger than Central Park, reconnecting people with nature, boosting the economy, and supporting a 15-minute city lifestyle where daily needs are within walking…

Valencia Parc Central in Spain transforms a disused rail corridor in central Valencia into a 23-hectare urban park through undergrounding 9 km of railway tracks, reconnecting divided neighbourhoods as Europe’s largest such project valued at over €1 billion. Initiated in 2006 by Adif and Valencia Parque Central, with phases opening since 2019 (Phase 1: 11.5…

Torino Spina 3 in Italy redevelops a former industrial rail yard in northern Turin into a 45-hectare sustainable urban zone, with Environment Park (Envipark) as its flagship technology hub launched in the late 1990s for environmental innovation. Part of Turin’s broader “Spine” regeneration, it blends green spaces like Parco Dora with tech facilities, hosting companies,…

Fornebu green redevelopment in Bærum near Oslo, Norway, transforms a former airport closed in 1998 into a zero-emission urban district by 2027, serving as a test arena for climate-friendly solutions through Smart City Bærum’s public-private-academic partnership. Spanning 340 hectares, it plans for 11,000 homes, 20,000 jobs, and mixed-use growth with the new Fornebu metro line…

Ørestad in Copenhagen, Denmark, emerged from empty fields in the 1990s as a master-planned sustainable district on Amager Island, developed by Ørestad Development Corporation (55% Copenhagen municipality, 45% Ministry of Finance) to finance the M1 metro line through land sales. Spanning 310 hectares for 20,000 residents, 20,000 students, and 80,000 jobs by 2025, it integrates…

Eco‑Viikki is part of the Viikki district, about 7–8 km north‑east of central Helsinki, next to the Viikki Science Park and nature reserve. Planned in the 1990s and built mainly between 1998 and 2003, it was designated as Helsinki’s pilot “eco‑community” and ecological housing area.​ The City of Helsinki presents Eco‑Viikki as the first ecologically…

Jätkäsaari is one of Helsinki’s main waterfront redevelopments, turning a former cargo harbour into a dense, mixed‑use, smart and sustainable district by the sea. It also serves as a living lab for new mobility and urban‑service solutions within Helsinki’s wider smart‑city strategy. Jätkäsaari is located on the south‑west edge of central Helsinki, on land freed…

San José La Sabana, centred around Parque Metropolitano La Sabana and nearby Parque del Lago areas, represents a key urban renewal initiative in Costa Rica’s capital, transforming the 72-hectare “lungs of San José” into a resilient public space through the 2024 La Sabana Master Plan. Developed via public-private partnerships involving Portafolio Inmobiliario, ICODER, and community…

Mauritius Smart City Scheme encompasses a network of integrated urban developments across the island, launched by the Economic Development Board (EDB) to foster innovation, sustainable growth, and high-quality living. Approved projects like Moka Smart City, Verdaches, and others transform greenfield sites into mixed-use hubs blending residential, commercial, and leisure spaces, attracting global investors via residency…

Destiny represents a proposed Special Sustainability Zone (SSZ) on the southern coast of Nevis in St Kitts and Nevis, spearheaded by bitcoin investor Olivier Janssens through South Nevis Ltd, with a committed $50 million investment over five years in infrastructure. Enabled by the 2025 Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Act, this luxury community targets global entrepreneurs…

California Forever is a private proposal to build a new master‑planned city in southeast Solano County as a dense, walkable, green alternative to California’s sprawl. It aims to house up to 400,000 residents near Travis Air Force Base, combining housing, jobs, and clean energy in one integrated “next great American city.” The company, founded by…

The Rîșcani Eco-Housing Pilots aim to decarbonize Chisinau’s old Soviet-era apartments. Led by Green City Lab Moldova with UNDP/GEF support and Termoelectrica funding from the World Bank and EBRD, they modernize buildings into energy-efficient “eco-housing.” The Rîșcani district, with key district heating infrastructure, serves as the main testing ground. The pilots focus on deep renovations…

Skopje’s Aerodrom municipality is a dense residential district that is now a priority area for new greenery and green corridors in the city’s Green City Action Plan and climate‑resilience strategy. The goal is to connect parks, riverfronts, and tree‑lined streets into a network that improves air quality, microclimate, and everyday liveability in one of Skopje’s…

Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNN) is Madrid’s flagship 21st‑century regeneration project, turning disused rail and industrial land north of Chamartín–Clara Campoamor station into a dense, mixed‑use district. Led by Crea Madrid Nuevo Norte with the City and Region of Madrid, ADIF and private partners, it is presented as one of Europe’s largest urban redevelopment schemes. Madrid…

Genoa Erzelli GREAT Campus, located on Erzelli hill in northwest Italy, functions as a science and technology park fostering innovation through synergies between high-tech firms, the University of Genoa’s Polytechnic School, and research centres like the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT). Launched as part of a major urban renewal project, it spans over 400,000 square…

Reykjavik aims to become carbon neutral by 2040 through the Green Deal and the 2021–2025 Climate Action Plan. The strategy combines Iceland’s geothermal energy, advanced carbon capture, and a major modernization of the city’s transport system. Reykjavik’s strategy aims for net-zero emissions via reductions and carbon capture. Key projects include the Borgarlína BRT system to…

Hyllie climate-smart district in Malmö, Sweden, serves as a flagship urban development project launched around 2010, transforming farmland into a dense, sustainable neighbourhood connecting the city to the Scania plains. It aims to house 25,000 residents by 2040 with 9,000 homes and workplaces, driven by the 2011 Climate Contract between the City of Malmö, E.ON,…

Rublyovo-Arkhangelskoye, branded as SberCity, is a large satellite city west of Moscow developed by Sberbank. Designed as a smart city, it aims to be an international financial and residential hub. The masterplan, led by Zaha Hadid Architects, emphasises a balance between nature and advanced technology. Located in Kuntsevo along the Moskva River, SberCity spans 461…