As only U.S. city to participate in international cohort, Seattle joined environmental leaders from around the world to share best practices on urban habitat restoration
Seattle – After two years of active participation, the City of Seattle is proud to announce the completion of its second and final year in the United Nations Generation Restoration Program.
In recognition of Seattle’s strong climate-action leadership and long-standing commitment to restoring natural ecosystems, Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) was selected to join the United Nation’s Generation Restoration cohort as a “Role Model City” — the only city in the United States to receive this distinction.
This two-year commitment included hosting delegations from international partners, participating in global gatherings to exchange best practices, accessing innovative climate-adaptation strategies, and joining with peer cities to advance a global movement that prioritizes natural land restoration in urban environments worldwide.
“It has been a privilege to participate in the United Nation’s Generation Restoration initiative. Our engagement in the program has been a resounding success for Seattle, validating our belief that local action can be a catalyst for global change,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Two years ago, we were privileged with the recognition to be the only American city recognized for our innovative solutions for biodiversity and climate resilience – and it has been our honor to be able to showcase this work on the world stage alongside other world class cities such as Paris, Toronto, and Istanbul. While this specific chapter of collaboration concludes, the insights we have gained will ensure that our natural areas continue to thrive as vital assets now and for the next generation.”
“It was an honor for Seattle to be named a ‘Role Model City’ and to be recognized as a leader among metropolitan areas, particularly as a leading park agency for how we utilize nature to solve urban challenges,” said AP Diaz, Superintendent of Seattle Parks and Recreation “Our participation has solidified our standing in Seattle and Washington as a global leader in sustainability, allowing us to highlight innovative work in forest restoration through the Green Seattle Partnership (GSP).”
Seattle’s engagement contributed significant technical expertise to the global cohort of eleven role-model cities, deepening shared knowledge in restoration, climate adaptation, and the deployment of nature-based solutions in both green and blue spaces. Our participation has already produced tangible outcomes, including:
- The expansion of a GSP-inspired urban forest regeneration program with the City of Paris.
- An emerging Global Canopy Tree Pact with multiple international partners.
- Emerging collaborations with fellow UNEP Role Model cities to create a North American Community of Practice.
- A comprehensive study with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR) on integrating nature-based solutions into urban financial and planning systems.
- Participation in the UNEP flagship Beat the Heat initiative, conducting heat assessments, vulnerability mapping, developing a project pipeline to expand shade and canopy coverage, and building tools for monitoring impacts of cooling strategies.
Through this partnership, SPR represented Seattle on the global stage at major international climate forums.
These exchanges underscore the power of the Generation Restoration network. At gatherings such as the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the UN Climate Conference, and the UN Biodiversity Conference, Seattle gained insight into how other global cities deploy nature-based solutions, urban agriculture, and ecosystem restoration to bolster climate resilience. These learnings will directly inform the next phase of Seattle’s Climate Action Plan.
Participation in Generation Restoration has helped accelerate Seattle’s commitments at home. Over this period, SPR:
- Establishing a new Environmental Stewardship Division to support the City’s Thriving Environment goals.
- Advertised Seattle’s first Environmental Stewardship Director position.
- Began exploring opportunities to host a global environmental restoration in Seattle.
- Expanded regional and statewide partnerships to pursue funding for resilience, restoration, and nature-based climate solutions.
- Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a USD 168 million commitment to scale and support this work and the wider efforts of subnational leaders driving progress globally. SPR plans to apply to access these funds to support our work.
- Strengthened frameworks supporting Seattle’s emerging Climate Action Plan.
- Initiated efforts to expand career pathways for youth in climate and environmental fields through the Youth Climate Action Fund
As a lasting symbol of the Generation Restoration legacy, two large-scale murals now illuminate the revitalized Seattle Waterfront. Conceived in honor of World Environment Day and Seattle’s designation as a Generation Restoration “Role Model City,” the artworks celebrate our city’s ongoing commitment to ecological restoration.
