The BiodiverCITY project, initiated by the City of Amsterdam, redefines the relationship between urban spaces and biodiversity by integrating ecological health into public space design. This innovative initiative aims to create, implement, and upscale biodiversity-based measures across the city’s streets, facades, roofs, and underground life, fostering resilience and sustainability.
At its core, BiodiverCITY focuses on soil vitality, the foundation of biodiversity in cities. While declining rural biodiversity has gained significant attention globally, urban ecosystems—often hidden beneath our feet—demand equal focus. The project explores and implements solutions to nurture vital soil life, essential for thriving biodiversity and the health of urban habitats.
Collaborating with Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), ARTIS, and Inside Outside, the project combines expertise in ecology, urban planning, and public space design. This interdisciplinary approach has yielded innovative results, including biodiverse soil restoration methods and the design of public spaces that support ecological balance. The methodologies, outlined in the publication BiodiverCITY: A Matter of Vital Soil!, offer scalable solutions for cities worldwide.
The project’s impact extends beyond Amsterdam. Featured at prominent events such as the Venice Architecture Biennale and Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, BiodiverCITY has sparked global conversations about urban biodiversity. The initiative has also inspired a podcast series and exhibitions, ensuring knowledge dissemination across diverse audiences.
With its commitment to sustainability, the project not only enhances Amsterdam’s green infrastructure but also serves as a model for urban areas grappling with biodiversity loss. By embedding ecological health into urban planning, BiodiverCITY champions the idea that sustainable cities begin with thriving soil and ecosystems.
Through innovative partnerships, rigorous research, and a shared vision for a greener future, BiodiverCITY exemplifies design excellence, environmental responsibility, and a scalable framework for urban biodiversity restoration.
Category:Green Government and InstitutionsYear:2025Location: City of Amsterdam, The NetherlandsArchitects:Joyce van den Berg, Hans van der Made, Alessandra Riccetti, Marco Roos, Johan van Zoest, Ingrid Oosterheerd, Louis van Amerongen, Alicia Sanchez Fonseca, Constanza Gomez Guzman, Jean Carlos Ocampo Cantillo, Rosita Hemelaar, Chong Yao, Lujia Zhu, and Marina Lopes Vasarini, City of Amsterdam, The NetherlandsClient:City of Amsterdam, The NetherlandsImages:Joyce van den Berg, Hans van der Made, Ingrid Oosterheerd, and Alessandra Riccetti
