Good air quality, an abundance of space covered in grass and trees, as well as accessibility, are all important factors for cities to offer.
Many are packed with skyscrapers, office buildings and traffic jams – but some are better than others.
A new Green City Index has revealed where the greenest cities in the world are.
Taking into account various factors, including percentage of green space, air quality, and easy access to public outdoor areas, the best destinations have been pinpointed.
Oslo has been crowned the greenest city in the world, and 95 per cent of its residents live within 300 metres of green space
Norway’s capital, Oslo, proved to be the greenest city in the entire world, according to Iglu’s research.
The bustling area is home to over 724,000 residents but still has plenty of room for greenery.
It scored an impressive 77.3 out of 100 overall, and a whopping 95 per cent of locals live within just 300 metres of green space.
Oslo also boasts great air quality and even has a bee highway, which was introduced in 2015 to help protect the city’s endangered bees, it involved creating a route of flowers and green rooftop gardens.
Pocket parks are also a common sight, which are green spots created on what used to be parking spaces.
A UK spot managed to make the top 10 too, with Reading, located in the south of England, placing ninth – making it the greenest spot in the country.
Reading impressed with 35 per cent of its area dedicated to public green space, and in the city centre, the Abbey Quarter blends historic ruins with the manicured landscapes of Forbury Gardens.
The city has been defined by the ‘Rivers and Parks’ initiative, which connects the Thames and Kennett rivers directly to the town centre.
Vilnius, in Lithuania, ranked second in the research and scored 72.3 overall.
It was previously named the European Green Capital for 2025 for its expansion of green public transport and outdoor spaces.
Helsinki, in Finland followed in third place and scored 60.3 and Vienna ranked fourth, followed by Canberra in Australia.
Another Australian city, Sydney, placed sixth, and Stockholm, Singapore, Reading and Munich round off the top 10.
One UK spot, Reading, located in the south of England, made the top ten too and placed ninth overall
The 10 greenest cities in the world Oslo, NorwayVilnius, Lithuania Helsinki, FinlandVienna, Austria Canberra, Australia Sydney, AustraliaStockholm, Sweden Singapore Reading, UK Munich, Germany
Other green cities have taken the spotlight recently, including Heilbronn, a city in southwest Germany, which was named Europe’s green capital for 2027.
It was announced on October 2 at the European Green Capital Awards ceremony in Vilnius.
The event aimed to bring together cities from across the continent to celebrate leadership in sustainability.
As the 2025 title holder, Vilnius marked its year of progress and officially announced Heilbronn as the European Green Capital 2027.
Plus, the European Green Leaf Awards – for smaller cities – will go to Assen in the Netherlands and Siena in Italy.
Heilbronn was handed the crown based on top scores that the city received in air quality, water, noise, climate change adaptation and the circular economy.
Heilbronn has shown its role in eco development through its ‘Landscape Plan 2030’ and the city’s ‘Mobility Concept’.
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