Time Out, in collaboration with Intrepid Travel, has released its annual ranking of the world’s cities with the best access to parks, gardens, and natural landscapes in 2026. The top ten includes cities from four continents—ranging from a British resort to a South African metropolis at the foot of Table Mountain. Learn more about which cities received the highest ratings from residents for their green spaces and why these locations are considered the gold standard of eco-friendly urbanism

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Access to nature has long been one of the key indicators of urban quality of life—alongside transportation infrastructure and safety. Time Out has released its annual ranking of the world’s best cities for living and traveling in 2026, highlighting cities with the best access to green spaces. The survey covered 24,000 residents in 150 cities worldwide, and their ratings formed the basis of the list.

In this article, we’ll tell you which city was named the greenest capital on the planet according to Time Out, how many points Chicago, Montreal, and Singapore scored, why Medellín is called the “city of eternal spring,” and we’ll also explain how this ranking was formed and what criteria were considered during the voting.

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How was the Time Out 2026 ranking of the world’s greenest cities compiled?

The methodology for compiling the list was as simple and transparent as possible. The Time Out editorial team asked thousands of local residents in 150 cities a single question: how they rate green spaces and access to nature in their city. Responses were scored on a scale, and the final ranking included those cities where the highest percentage of respondents selected “good” or “excellent.”

To ensure the final list reflected geographical diversity, the organizers applied an additional filter: only one city from each country made the ranking—the one with the highest score. This approach prevented any single country from dominating the list and provided a global picture of green cities. Melbourne was the overall winner of the Time Out 2026 ranking, but in the category of best green spaces, the top spot went to another city.

1. Bath (United Kingdom) — 94% positive ratings

The British resort town of Bath topped the ranking with a result that left its competitors in the dust. The city is surrounded by the picturesque countryside of Gloucestershire, and within the urban area lies a network of parks and gardens of various sizes. Among them, the 18th-century Priory Park landscape garden, managed by the National Trust of Great Britain, stands out in particular.

Photo: Visit Bath

Local authorities are systematically working to expand green spaces. Bath and North East Somerset Council has approved the “Greener Places” plan for 2025–2035, which establishes a framework for green infrastructure to enhance the area’s climate resilience.

The document covers parks, gardens, and canals as blue and green corridors, as well as sustainable stormwater management systems. The Bathgate Landscape Partnership has also prepared a detailed guide to walking routes through the city and its surroundings.

2. Chicago (USA) — 89% positive ratings

Chicago’s skyscrapers have long been the city’s hallmark, but it earned second place in the ranking of the greenest megacities thanks to its park infrastructure. One of Chicago’s unofficial nicknames is “the city in a garden,” and the statistics confirm this description. According to the Chicago Park District, there are over 600 parks within the city limits, covering a total area of more than 8,800 acres.

Photo: Shutterstock

Innovative environmental projects deserve special attention. The flagship initiative of the nonprofit organization Urban Rivers—Wild Mile—became the world’s first floating eco-park. Its environment mimics the natural wetland ecosystem that existed in this area before Chicago was built up. Boardwalks have been laid along the riverbanks, allowing for walks amidst dense vegetation.

3. Montreal (Canada) — 88% positive ratings

The largest city in the province of Quebec has a direct connection to nature even at the level of toponymy. In 1535, French explorer Jacques Cartier named the central hill with three peaks “Mont-Royal,” and it was this name that later evolved into the modern Montreal, replacing the previous one—Ville-Marie.

Photo: Viator

The city’s key green space remains the eponymous park, spanning over 190 hectares. It features trails for walking and cycling, and in winter—trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The park preserves ecologically diverse forests and wetlands, including Lake Beaver, and ornithologists have recorded over 180 bird species. The city’s green infrastructure also includes the well-maintained Botanical Gardens and Jean Drapaut Park, spread across the islands of Sainte-Hélène and Notre-Dame.

4. Riga (Latvia) — 87% positive ratings

The Latvian capital ranks among Europe’s greenest cities based on objective satellite data. According to the HUGSI.green platform, which analyzes urban green spaces using satellite imagery, 47% of Riga’s area is covered by green zones, and tree cover accounts for 39% of the territory.

Photo: Dreamstime

The city has joined the European Green City Accord initiative and committed to preserving urban parks. The main goal of this policy is to maintain the local microclimate and counteract the urban heat island effect. This phenomenon arises from the excessive concentration of asphalt and concrete, which retain significantly more heat than rural areas, and greener cities are addressing it as a distinct challenge.

5. Melbourne (Australia) — 87% positive ratings

Australia’s second-largest city, also known by its traditional name Naarm, took the top spot in the Time Out 2026 ranking. High ratings for access to nature and parks were a key factor in its victory. It would be hard to describe Melburnians’ attitude toward urban greenery as merely formal.

Photo: Adobe Stock

A telling example is a 2018 initiative in which the municipality assigned individual email addresses to 70,000 trees for reports on their condition. Instead of technical complaints, residents began sending letters to the trees—including questions such as “do you consider your fingers to be branches or roots?” The correspondence was later compiled and published by the Australian media company ABC, and the story itself became a symbol of Melburnians’ attitude toward the city’s green heritage.

6. Cape Town (South Africa) — 86% positive ratings

Cape Town is located in a valley known as the Cape Floristic Region—one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is divided into 13 clusters, including Table Mountain National Park and the Garden Route.

Photo: Depositphotos

According to Cape Nature, the total area of all clusters reaches 1,094,741 hectares. A distinctive feature of this area is its unique flora: about 70% of the plants found here do not grow anywhere else in the world. This natural context directly influences residents’ perception of the city, with 86% of them rating access to green landscapes positively.

7. Singapore — 86% positive ratings

Singapore has been consistently developing the “garden city” concept since 1967. Today, about 50% of the island’s territory is covered by green spaces. According to The Telegraph, a key element of this system is the 250-acre “Gardens by the Bay” complex, built on reclaimed land and rightly called the “green lungs” of Singapore.

Photo: Shutterstock

The city-state’s next ambitious goal is to become the world’s greenest metropolis by 2030. The corresponding national strategy, “The Green Plan,” calls for planting 1 million new trees and ensuring that every home is within walking distance of green spaces.

According to the standard, the distance from any home to the nearest park should not exceed a 10-minute walk.

8. Medellín (Colombia) — 86% positive ratings

Last year, Colombia’s second-largest city topped Time Out’s ranking of the greenest cities with a score of 92%. In 2026, the score dropped by six percent, but Medellín retained its spot in the top ten thanks to an innovative approach to greening. The city’s main calling card is its so-called green corridors.

Photo: Travel Off Path

Due to consistently high daytime temperatures throughout the year, Medellín earned the nickname “the city of eternal spring,” and the municipality began systematically addressing the issue of overheating. The first green corridors along concrete streets were established in 2016, and within the next three years, the average temperature in the city dropped by 2 °C. The strategic placement of greenery has transformed ordinary thoroughfares into functional ecological arteries that simultaneously cool the air and enhance comfort in the urban environment.

9. Stockholm (Sweden) — 86% positive ratings

The Swedish capital has held a stable position among the greenest European cities for over a decade. Stockholm was the first city to be awarded the title of “European Green Capital”—it received the award in 2010 and has maintained high environmental standards ever since. According to a report by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, 84% of the region’s residents live within the “15-minute city” concept, with guaranteed access to green spaces.

Photo: iStock

A particular source of pride for Stockholm is the world’s first National Urban Park. Its core is the Royal Djurgården, and the total area stretches from Sörentorp and Ulriksdal to Djurgården and the island of Fjäderholmarna. This area features preserved ancient oak forests, well-maintained bike paths, and natural rocky beaches accessible to visitors.

10. Hamburg (Germany) — 85% positive ratings

Rounding out the top ten is the German city of Hamburg with a score of 85% positive ratings. The city earned its high ranking thanks to a long-term urban planning strategy that has been in place for over a century. The project is called GrünesNetzHamburg, or “Hamburg’s Green Network,” and aims to connect waterways, public gardens, suburban parks, and tree-lined streets into a single interconnected system.

Photo: Depositphotos

Hamburg also leads Europe in the field of green roofs. The city administration offers residents and businesses financial incentives to retrofit buildings in accordance with environmental standards, and this policy has resulted in a noticeable transformation of the urban landscape. This comprehensive approach combines infrastructure, architectural, and environmental solutions into a single strategy for sustainable development.

Traveling to the greenest cities in the world: how to stay safe?

Visiting the Botaanische Gärten, hiking trails around Table Mountain in Cape Town, strolling through the Royal Djurgården in Stockholm

or cycling through the green corridors of Medellín—all of this involves active recreation abroad. During such trips, it is important to arrange medical insurance that will cover potential injuries, flare-ups of chronic conditions, or sudden infections.

You can purchase reliable travel medical insurance for trips to any of the countries in the ranking on the Visit World portal. The policy covers doctor visits, outpatient and inpatient treatment, emergency dental care, and medical evacuation, and can be purchased online in just a few minutes.

Get medical insurance on Visit World and head to the greenest cities on the planet with confidence in your own safety!

Remember! Europe isn’t limited to Paris and Rome—there are cities that leave a much stronger impression without the crowds of tourists. These are the ones experienced travelers choose after dozens of trips across the continent. Read about 5 underrated European cities that can truly surprise you—follow the link.

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