Rethinking Nature in the City As cities grow denser, the value of green space becomes not just environmental, but social, cultural, and psychological. Urban parks are no longer just lawns and benches — they are multifunctional spaces that address climate change, social equity, biodiversity, and public wellness. In this blog, we explore 15 urban parks from around the world that redefine what a park can be in the 21st century. 1. The High Line, New York City, USA Once an abandoned elevated rail line, the High Line is now a 1.45-mile linear park and an international symbol of urban regeneration. Designed by James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, it blends wild vegetation, industrial heritage, and public art, creating a unique urban promenade above the city. It pioneered the idea of adaptive reuse and vertical parks, inspiring similar projects globally. 2. Superkilen Park, Copenhagen, Denmark Designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Superkilen celebrates multiculturalism with design elements sourced from over 60 countries — from a Moroccan fountain to a Thai boxing ring. It’s a park as a cultural collage, representing the communities that use it and challenging the uniformity of traditional park design. 3. Millennium Park, Chicago, USA Home to Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion by Frank Gehry, Millennium Park merges landscape, architecture, and technology. It positions art, performance, and green infrastructure in the heart of downtown, activating public life year-round. 4. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore With its massive Supertree structures, climate-controlled biodomes, …
15 Urban Parks That Redefine Green Space
Rethinking Nature in the City
As cities grow denser, the value of green space becomes not just environmental, but social, cultural, and psychological. Urban parks are no longer just lawns and benches — they are multifunctional spaces that address climate change, social equity, biodiversity, and public wellness. In this blog, we explore 15 urban parks from around the world that redefine what a park can be in the 21st century.
1. The High Line, New York City, USA
Once an abandoned elevated rail line, the High Line is now a 1.45-mile linear park and an international symbol of urban regeneration. Designed by James Corner Field Operations with Diller Scofidio + Renfro, it blends wild vegetation, industrial heritage, and public art, creating a unique urban promenade above the city. It pioneered the idea of adaptive reuse and vertical parks, inspiring similar projects globally.
2. Superkilen Park, Copenhagen, Denmark
Designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), Superkilen celebrates multiculturalism with design elements sourced from over 60 countries — from a Moroccan fountain to a Thai boxing ring. It’s a park as a cultural collage, representing the communities that use it and challenging the uniformity of traditional park design.
3. Millennium Park, Chicago, USA
Home to Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion by Frank Gehry, Millennium Park merges landscape, architecture, and technology. It positions art, performance, and green infrastructure in the heart of downtown, activating public life year-round.
4. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
With its massive Supertree structures, climate-controlled biodomes, and solar-powered systems, Gardens by the Bay exemplifies futuristic park design. It combines eco-technology and botanical beauty, offering education, tourism, and climate resilience all in one.
5. Parque Biblioteca España, Medellín, Colombia
Built in a once-dangerous hillside neighborhood, this park-library hybrid by architect Giancarlo Mazzanti integrates green space with education and safety. It reclaims urban space to empower communities and fight social inequality through design.
6. Park Güell, Barcelona, Spain
A masterwork by Antoni Gaudí, Park Güell blends surreal forms, mosaic artistry, and natural topography. It challenges the boundaries of function and fantasy, showing that parks can also be sculptural, spiritual, and iconic. Known for Celebrating artistic imagination in public space, making nature and architecture inseparable.
7. Zaryadye Park, Moscow, Russia
Located next to the Kremlin, this park includes climate zones, floating bridges, and an underground concert hall. It introduces climate-controlled environments and futuristic architecture in a historically rigid urban fabric. Known for Blending landscape with technology, and introducing climate-responsive zones within a dense historical area.
8. Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Singapore
This park reimagined a concrete canal as a meandering naturalized river, integrating flood management and recreation. It merges hydrology with public life, creating resilience through nature-based infrastructure. Known for Demonstrating eco-engineering and urban water-sensitive design in a highly developed city.
9. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, UK
Built for the 2012 Olympics, this park now serves as a vibrant urban district with wetlands, art, and sport facilities. It shows how post-event landscapes can be reintegrated into daily urban life. Known for Post-event urban legacy, sustainability, and reconnecting East London communities with green space.
10. Yongning Park, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
Once a landfill, this site is now a park focused on ecology and stormwater retention, with terraced wetlands and native plantings. It transforms a waste site into a living system, promoting biodiversity and flood control. Known for Turning waste into ecological assets, and promoting community-led environmental awareness.
11. The Bentway, Toronto, Canada
Running beneath an expressway, The Bentway repurposes unused space into a cultural corridor with skating paths, performances, and markets. It reclaims infrastructure voids and turns them into public venues, showcasing vertical and horizontal adaptability.
12. Taman Menteng, Jakarta, Indonesia
Built on the site of a former soccer stadium, this urban park serves as a civic lung in one of the world’s most polluted cities. It offers multi-level programming, like art galleries, greenhouses, and performance areas, in a compact design. its Known for Compact, multifunctional green space that brings fresh air and culture to a dense megacity.
13. Cheonggyecheon Stream, Seoul, South Korea
An urban stream once buried under a highway has been uncovered and restored into a 10.9 km linear park. It is a model for urban ecological restoration, revitalizing city health, tourism, and air quality. Known for Being a landmark urban renewal project that enhances walkability, air quality, and urban cooling.
14. Tongva Park, Santa Monica, USA
Designed by James Corner Field Operations, this park blends sculptural landscapes with native plants and water features. It’s a landscape-as-urban-art, emphasizing form, function, and environmental sensitivity. its Known for Blending form and function with coastal ecology and public interaction.
15. Gas Works Park, Seattle, USA
Built on the site of a former gasification plant, the park preserves industrial ruins and integrates them into the landscape. It embraces industrial heritage, showing how contaminated sites can be reclaimed for beauty and play.
Rethinking Parks for the 21st Century
These 15 parks demonstrate that today’s green spaces are not just ornamental retreats. They’re tools for climate adaptation, cultural inclusion, social healing, and urban storytelling. Whether transforming highways, landfills, or riverbeds, these projects represent a shift toward parks as dynamic systems — responsive, inclusive, and essential.
As cities face mounting environmental and social challenges, parks are not luxury. They are infrastructure for survival and joy, rooted in place and designed for people.
Kunal Shetty
