Stefano Boeri, the renowned Italian architect, urban planner, and academic, has been awarded the 2023 European Lung Foundation (ELF) Prize for his work and commitment to improving air quality in urban environments. This prestigious award is given to individuals, groups, or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to respiratory health.
The award will be presented today at this year’s International Congress of the European Respiratory Society, taking place from September 9th to 13th, 2023.
Boeri’s projects integrate living nature into urban environments. Numerous international studies have shown that living and working in close proximity to trees and plants can lead to lower stress levels, improved physical and mental health, and better air quality, resulting in positive effects on lung health.
As one of the foremost opinion leaders in the international architectural community’s debate on climate change, Boeri participated in the 2017 Commonwealth Regenerative Development to Reverse Climate Change program. He is also the co-chair of the scientific committee for the World Forum on Urban Forests (Mantova, 2018 and Washington, 2023). In 2019, at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, Boeri presented the Green Urban Oases project in collaboration with FAO, C40, and other international research institutes.
Boeri currently serves as the president of the scientific committee for Forestami, a project aimed at planting three million trees in the metropolitan area of Milan by 2030. The project’s objectives are to purify the air, improve living conditions throughout the city of Milan, and counteract the effects of climate change by reducing the “heat island” effect and mitigating temperatures in cities. This mission represents the most effective, affordable, and engaging way to slow down global warming, reduce energy consumption, and clean the air to enhance the well-being of citizens. The project will increase green spaces in streets, squares, courtyards, as well as rooftops and building facades.
Boeri, who gained fame for designing Milan’s Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) in 2014, expands his architectural work from urban planning to building design. Stefano Boeri Architetti’s Vertical Forests are designed to provide a high level of biodiversity in densely populated areas by integrating living nature into architecture. The presence of plants and trees helps reduce air pollution and improve air quality, leading to significant health benefits, particularly for people living in cities exposed to high levels of pollution. Stefano Boeri Architetti is currently working on implementing urban reforestation strategies worldwide, with Vertical Forests in the Netherlands – including the first Vertical Forest for social housing in Eindhoven in 2021 and the under-construction Wonderwoods Vertical Forest in Utrecht – as well as the new Policlinico hospital in Milan, which will feature a 6,000 square meter therapeutic garden on its roof. In addition to architectural design, Stefano Boeri Architetti’s work includes urban regeneration projects and master plans for metropolises and major cities, including Geneva, Tirana, Cancun, Cairo, Milan, Genoa, Cagliari, Naples, Padua, Taranto, and many others in Italy.
Boeri’s projects have inspired a new generation of architects and designers to prioritize environmental sustainability and social responsibility in their work.
Kjeld Hansen, the president of ELF, commended Boeri’s work, stating, “We are delighted to award Stefano Boeri our annual prize. His work represents an innovative and sustainable approach to architecture and urban planning. By taking significant steps forward in the field and inspiring other architects, his work has the potential to benefit the environment, health, and well-being of future generations.”
Stefano Boeri expressed his happiness and pride in receiving this significant recognition, emphasizing the extraordinary benefits of greenery in mitigating urban heat, absorbing CO2 and fine particulate matter, and making cities and our lungs healthier. For over 20 years, his team has been developing ideas and projects aimed at multiplying trees and forests in urban areas. Boeri describes their “Green Obsession” as both a design commitment and an aspiration shared with anyone who courageously and optimistically looks to the future of our cities and the quality of life for all citizens.
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