Grant Associates helps shape Monaco's vision to bring nature back into the city
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Read Time: 2 mins
Landscape architects Grant Associates have collaborated with the Government of Monaco on Bringing Nature Back into the City – a long-term vision that places nature at the heart of the Principality's future development.
The initiative establishes a strategic framework for strengthening biodiversity, improving public space, enhancing pedestrian connectivity and increasing climate resilience across one of the world's most densely populated urban environments.
Rather than focusing on individual greening projects, the vision explores how landscape can become an integral part of Monaco's future evolution. Through a network of green and blue corridors linking the limestone mountains behind the city to the Mediterranean Sea, it demonstrates how nature-based solutions can improve quality of life while supporting biodiversity and climate adaptation.
Grant Associates is leading the landscape vision, supported by a multidisciplinary team that included Biodiversity by Design, Studio 4215, Arup, Speirs Major, Nadina Galle, Ecometrx, Space Syntax, Tim O'Hare and RLB | SQA.
Andrew Grant, Founder and Director of Grant Associates, said:
"Monaco is one of the densest urban places on the planet, yet landscape remains fundamental to its identity because of its remarkable setting between mountain and sea. The challenge has been to understand how those natural systems can once again shape the experience of the city."
The vision aligns with Monaco's National Biodiversity Strategy and considers how biodiversity, mobility, climate resilience and public health can be addressed together through landscape-led design.
Although conceived as a long-term framework rather than a single masterplan, its principles are already informing a series of public realm projects across the Principality, including the redevelopment of the Chemin des Sculptures Garden, proposals for Boulevard de Belgique and the Ostende Gardens.
As cities around the world face rising temperatures, biodiversity loss and increasing pressure on public space, the vision demonstrates how landscape can act as essential urban infrastructure—creating cooler, healthier and more resilient places for people and nature alike.
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Notes to editors
A short film outlining the vision, including CGI animations and featuring sections with Andrew Grant, is available here (French narration with YouTube captions available): https://youtu.be/Ht1FXDdC6vA?si=yGoAvQ961vP4PAnZ
Read Grant Associates' in-depth feature exploring the thinking behind the vision and the design process:
Project team
- Grant Associates – Landscape vision, framework and design leadership
- Biodiversity by Design – Ecology and biodiversity
- Studio 4215 – Public realm microclimate and comfort
- Arup – Sustainable development, resilience, water management and civil engineering
- Speirs Major – Lighting strategy
- Nadina Galle – Urban tree canopy and green space analysis
- Ecometrx – Ecosystem services assessment
- Space Syntax – Walking and cycling movement analysis
- Tim O'Hare – Soils strategy
- RLB | SQA – Cost consultancy
- Ingérop – Project management, civil engineering and cost estimation
- Passage Projects - Structural engineering
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Editors notes
Grant Associates is a pioneering international landscape architecture practice, whose work reconnects people with nature in insightful, delightful and distinctive ways whilst addressing the global challenges of urbanisation, the climate crisis and biodiversity extinction. Grant Associates’ design process is underpinned by a knowledge of human behaviour, nature and ecological science combined with innovative design technology. The practice combines original thinking, creative collaboration and regenerative design to breathe new life into our cities and landscapes.
