Paris just won the world title for turning concrete back into nature

Paris has been named Grand Winner of the 2026 World Green City Awards for its plan to retrofit one of the planet's densest cities into a biodiversity haven. Green roofs, new parks, ecological corridors, and mass tree planting are now legal requirements for developers — 5,000 social housing units a year, scaling to 40,000 private homes by 2030. "They show how a crowded, historic concrete jungle can successfully bring nature back," said juror Kotchakorn Voraakhom.