Real-world examples of urban climate solutions
The Repsol site in Málaga was once an oil storage area, later abandoned in the early 2000s.
A citizen movement, Bosque Urbano Málaga, has since pushed to turn the land into a large public forest.
The city, however, plans a mixed-use redevelopment with several towers and a reduced green park.
This disagreement has sparked years of protests and legal disputes.
As of 2025, the project remains stalled — symbolizing the wider debate between urban growth and green recovery in Mediterranean cities.
Medellín, once one of Colombia's most polluted and heat-stressed cities, has become an international example of how green infrastructure can transform the urban climate. Beginning in 2016, the city launched the "Green Corridors" program, a large-scale initiative connecting 18 major roads, 12 riverbanks, and over 120 parks with continuous vegetation and shade networks.
The goal was to reduce urban heat, improve air quality, and enhance quality of life by increasing vegetation cover across the city. With an investment of about 16 million USD, Medellín converted asphalt and concrete strips into tree-lined routes, planted tens of thousands of shrubs and trees, and created microhabitats that connect the urban fabric.
The impact was rapid and measurable:
Air temperature dropped by up to 4°C in the most vegetated areas and around 2°C citywide.
Surface temperature (from satellite data) fell from around 40°C to 30°C in targeted zones between 2016 and 2019.
PM₂.₅ decreased from 21.8 to 20.2 µg/m³, PM₁₀ from 46.0 to 40.4 µg/m³, and ozone from 30.1 to 26.3 µg/m³.
Respiratory infection rates fell from 159 to 95 per thousand inhabitants.
PM₂.₅/PM₁₀: particulate matter ≤ 2.5/10 micrometers • µg/m³: micrograms per cubic meter
Beyond environmental gains, the project created over 2,600 jobs, including training programs for local residents as urban gardeners. It encouraged cycling (+35%) and walking (+4%), while biodiversity indicators (birds and small fauna) increased.
The "Green Corridors" of Medellín are now considered a reference model for climate adaptation and inclusive urban planning: combining data-driven design, ecological restoration, and social inclusion.
Singapore has become a world leader in integrating nature into a dense urban environment. Since the 1960s, the government has pursued a long-term vision known as "City in a Garden", later evolved into "City in Nature", aiming to weave greenery into every part of the city.
Through the National Parks Board (NParks), the country manages more than 7 million trees across streets, parks, buildings, and nature reserves. Trees are treated as climate infrastructure — essential for lowering heat, filtering air, capturing stormwater, and enhancing biodiversity.
Urban vegetation has been strategically planned through green corridors connecting major parks and water systems. Studies show that areas with dense canopy cover are on average 2–4°C cooler, helping to mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve thermal comfort.
Singapore has also pioneered digital monitoring of its urban forest through systems like TreeSG, which tracks tree health, species, and maintenance schedules. Innovative landmarks such as Gardens by the Bay and the iconic Supertrees combine technology, renewable energy, and vegetation, symbolizing the fusion of ecology and design.
In parallel, the OneMillionTrees campaign aims to add one million new trees by 2030, expanding the national green network even further.
Singapore's approach demonstrates that systematic, data-driven greening can make even a compact, tropical metropolis more livable, resilient, and sustainable — turning heat into habitability.
Comprehensive urban forest management across the entire city-state
Measurable temperature reduction in areas with dense canopy cover
Digital monitoring and management of urban forest health and biodiversity