5 lessons planners can learn from the world's most sustainable cities

In 2025, cities around the world are pioneering innovative approaches to sustainable urban development.

These cities are not only reducing their carbon footprints but are also enhancing the quality of life for their residents. By examining the strategies of these leading cities, we can gain a real insight into how we can create more sustainable, resilient, and livable urban environments. So, let's explore the unique (and highly effective) approaches of five modern cities that are setting the standard for sustainable city shaping.

1. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen is on track to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025. The city’s commitment to cycling infrastructure is unparalleled, with more than 60% of residents commuting by bike. This extensive network of bicycle lanes not only reduces traffic congestion, but it also promotes a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, Copenhagen’s innovative waste-to-energy plant, Amager Bakke, converts waste into energy while ingeniously providing recreational facilities like a ski slope and climbing wall.

The city’s smart urban districts, such as the previously neglected Nordhavn district, also integrate green roofs, seawater cooling, and smart grid technology, making Copenhagen a model for sustainable urban living. The city's focus on promoting walking and cycling is pertinent to planners all over the world, and tools like PATH in Planwisely are now offering more advanced ways to plan active transport networks.

2. Singapore

Singapore’s ‘City in a Garden’ vision seamlessly blends urban density with lush greenery. Vertical gardens and green rooftops are common sights, contributing to the city’s aesthetic appeal and environmental health. Singapore’s advanced water management systems, including their NEWater system and rainwater harvesting, ensure water self-sufficiency.

In addition to this eye-catching approach, the city’s use of AI and IoT for real-time management of traffic, lighting, and energy exemplifies how smart technology can enhance urban sustainability – finding impactful ways to make the city greener despite the challenges of a densified urban environment.

3. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam’s sustainability model is rooted in its bicycle-first planning and circular economy initiatives that help to reduce waste and emphasise reusing instead of replacing.

The city’s extensive network of bike lanes and car-free zones encourages active transport – evidenced by that fact that there are more bikes than people in the city – and greatly reduces overall reliance on cars by residents and visitors alike. Amsterdam’s eco-districts, such as De Ceuvel, which transformed an unused shipyard into a sustainable office park, showcase how urban spaces can be transformed into sustainable, closed-loop systems.

4. Vancouver, Canada

Led by its strong focus on urban green spaces and leveraging community engagement to find the best outcomes, Vancouver has the lofty goal of becoming the greenest city in the world. The city’s Urban Forest Strategy aims to increase canopy cover by five percent in the next 25 years to meet the city’s goal of 30% canopy coverage by 2050. Given the role that tree canopy cover plays in encouraging active transport, cooling and humidifying urban environments (helping to mitigate the Urban Heat Island effect) and enhancing overall community wellbeing, Vancouver’s ‘all in’ stance on urban greening is a well-informed approach to building a more sustainable city that is ready to endure the changes brought about by climate change.

Bolstering this vision is Vancouver’s green building standards, which requires all new buildings to meet zero-emissions targets by 2030. The city’s Greenest City Action Plan, developed in collaboration with residents, ensures that sustainability initiatives are community-driven and equitable; this collaborative mindset is itself a modern approach to building places for the future.

5. Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich combines efficient public transport with a compact urban form and participatory budgeting to create a sustainable urban environment. The city’s public transport system is largely powered by renewable energy and is one of the most efficient in the world. Zurich’s zoning laws encourage modern mixed-use developments, which is designed to limit urban sprawl and promote walkable environments.

The city also uses a participatory budgeting process, which allows citizens to vote on sustainability projects, ensuring that initiatives align with local priorities. Zurich’s approach demonstrates the effectiveness of precision planning and civic participation in achieving sustainability goals in a transparent and efficient manner.