Garden concepts can serve many different purposes. Like the ecologically sound floating greenhouses in Belgrade, they can be methods for teaching sustainable food production in urban spaces. Or, like Penda's winding pathway park in China, they can be tranquil spaces of reflection. They can even simply be something to add a little pizzazz to an otherwise empty area, as with the 'Plant-a-Bar' concept in Vermont. In any case though, these garden concepts encourage a better appreciation for nature, especially in urban spaces.
Whether in public parks or in private yards, gardens have long been associated with human cultivation of natural beauty. The onset of the modern metropolis during the Industrial Revolution called for a shift towards concrete and glass and away from green spaces. Cities are beginning to recognize the fault in that urban planning idea today, and so there is more room than ever for the merger of urban construction with urban gardening.
24 Urban Garden Concepts

24
Self-Powered Trolleybus Gardens
This Piezoelectric Architecture Merges Design & Sustainability

23
Garden-Topped Houses
This Concept House Features a Rooftop Vegetable Garden and Solar Heating

22
Pop-Up Garden Oases
This Empty Storefront Was Transformed into a Tranquil Temporary Venue
21
Food-Growing Towers
The Hyperions Project Would See a Sustainable Food System Grow on Dwellings
20
Relaxing Garden Getaways
This Backyard Hideaway Was Designed to Get Away from the Busy City
19
Garden-Embedded Exterior Bars
'Plant-a-Bar' Outdoor Bars Create a Garden Space at Drink Level
18
Urban Surf Parks
The URBNSURF Wave Pool Offers Public Surfing With a Simulated Beach
17
Slanted Garden Roofs
OYO Architects Creates a Modern Green Belgium House
16
Landscaped Rooftop Terraces
The Shenye TaiRan Building Boasts Stunning "Secret" Gardens
15
Eco-Friendly Floating Greenhouses
The Eco Barge Cruises the Danube in a Sustainable Fashion
14
Multi-Sensory Garden Pop-Ups
This Pop-Up Garden in London is a Sophisticated Play Structure
13
Ecological Library Rooftops
Vancouver Central Library's Top Floor Will be a Green Space Community
12
River-Inspired Landscapes
This Winding Pathway is Meant to Be a Reminder for Preserving Water
11
Hexagonal Urban Gardens
This City Garden is Interactive and Incorporates Different Designs
10
Climate Change Greenery Projects
This Initiative Uses Plants to Combat Rising Temperatures
9
Botanical Train Stations
The Kaohsiung Train Station in Taiwan is Covered by a Lush Garden
8
Bullpen Produce Gardens
The San Diego Padres' Pepper Garden Grows Ingredients for Ballpark Dishes
7
Eco Tower Architecture
This Urban Garden Structure Features Layered Green Spaces
6
Ballpark Rooftop Gardens
'Fenway Farms' is Built on the Roof of Boston's Historic Fenway Park
5
Sustainable Park Concepts
This Environmentally Friendly Park Will Be in Downtown Los Angeles
4
Spiraled Pop-Up Greenhouses
The Horti Hood Provides a Temporary Hothouse For Maximum Plant Growth
3
Urban Communal Gardens
This Urban Garden Design Uses Indian Water Mazes as Its Inspiration
2
Guerrilla Garden Installations
With Local Gardeners, Strongbow Created a Green Space in the City
1
Garden-Topped Residential Towers
The Sky Habitat Development Features Beautiful Sky Gardens
Related Ideas
Multi-Material Home Composters
The Conceptual 'Toggle' Compost Bin Accepts Food Waste and Paper
Multifunctional Transport Buses
The Bubblic Public Imagines the Future of Public Transit
Nest-Inspired Urban Houses
This Vietnamese Dwelling Offers Respite From the Concrete Jungle
Modular Storage-Equipped Pet Sofas
The Conceptual Grid Sofa from Sunriu Design is Multifunctional
Virtual Pet Planter Pots
The 'Planpet' Smart Plant Pot Concept Gives Greenery a Digital Profile
Low-Energy Indoor Garden Systems
The 'SproutHub' Indoor Garden Works with 54 Plant Varieties
Mental Health-Friendly Homes
Hong Kong's Playpod Sanctuary is Functional and Healing
Plant-Filled Latticed Buildings
Wallflower Architecture + Design Creates the Touching Eden House
Indoor Organic Waste Gardens
The Conceptual BOSCH Eco-Hub by Batuhan Duran is Sustainable
Recycling-Focused Store Concepts
COS Adopts Recycled Materials to Enhance its New Store Locations
Urban Bottle Sustainable Initiatives
Heineken Presents Fields Green With Grass, Not Glass
Beautified Community Spaces
Sephora Canada's Beauty at The Bentway Revitalizes Outdoor Space
Self-Watering Multifunctional Planters
Moss Develops the Grow Lamp to Simplify Gardening
Ambient Energy Harvesting Planters
This Hydroponic Planter System Encourages Interaction
Cactus-Inspired Urban Skyscrapers
This Danish Skyscraper Features a Spiky Facade Design
Vineyard-Topped Airport Terminals
The New Plans for Florence Airport Integrate Rooftop Greenery
Eco-Friendly Offices
Office@27 by Sanjay Puri Architects is Enhanced by Ancient Indian Principles
Futuristic Imaginative Design Concepts
Toyota Introduces the Unique E-Collection of Products
Sustainable Airport Terminal Designs
This Lush Green Terminal is Powered By Renewable Energy
Kid-Envisioned Urban Environments
The Little Big Playmat Takes a Creative Path to Design Problems
Mini Mess-Free Garden Units
The LinnéGarden Vertical Hydroponics Garden is Self-Watering
Window-Accented Garden Homes
CAN Designs the Verdant House with a Luscious Garden
Japanese Inn-Inspired Apartments
Intheory Design Creates an Apartment Inspired by Ryokan
Tree-Lined Urban Highways
The Dubai Green Spine Will Include One-Million Trees
Escapism Electric Vehicle Concepts
The 'Trekker' Concept Vehicle is Imagined for Urbanites in 2030
Portable Minimal Smart Planters
A Team of Designers Create the Balconyfarm Planter
Environment-First Tourism Festivals
Paradise City Festival in Belgium Won Sustainability Awards
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Floating Sustainable Padel Courts
Yntegra Group Creates a Floating Padel Court in Miami
Balearic Island Housing Projects
The Life Reusing Posidonia Project has 14 Dwellings on the Island
Japanese Garden-Inspired Offices
Flooat Designs the Mitsui & Co Office Space in Tokyo
Music Festival Bright Pavilions
Re:Right Design Created the Hayes Pavilion for Glastonbury
Eco-Friendly Pouf Chair Concepts
Design Studio701 Creates the Rio Pouffe Concept
Regenerative Eco-Park Infrastructures
Iñaki Echeverria Has Completed Phase 1 of Lake Texcoco
Office-Friendly Gardening Systems
The LOOPO Green System Infuses Greenery into Office Spaces
Ocean Plastic Indoor Gardens
Ocean by Ingarden is Made Out of Ocean Plastic Waste
Large Winter Garden Hospitals
HKS Designs the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital
Eco-Friendly Pop-Up Restaurants
The Green Vic is End-to-End Sustainable in London
Integrative Garden Cafes
Cheongsudang Bakery Brings a Garden Experience in the Heart of Seoul
Simplistic Tranquil Garden Studios
Atelier Janda Vanderghote Designs the T(uin)Huis Atelier
Garden-Integrated Lamp Designs
LG Electronics Presents a New Indoor Gardening Device
Large Headquarter-Transformed Housing
Studio Egret West Designs Hayes Park Central and South
Tranquility-Centric Pavilions
DEOND Presents the Enfold Pavilion with Physical and Digital Design
Garden Oasis Renovated Homes
Sam Crawford Architects Designs the Hidden Garden House
Planted Balcony Home Designs
4site Architects Designs the House of Greens in Bangalore
Tech-Rich Gardening Facilities
This Soli Organic Vertical Farm is Expansive and Ultra-Advanced
Green Concrete Community Centers
Studios WORKac and Ignacio Urquiza Architects Form a Building
Plant-Cultivating Home Furnishings
LG Introduces a New Planter That Doubles as a Lamp
Sweeping Culture Centers
Zaha Hadid Architects Presents the River Culture and Art Centre
Garden-Centric Health Centers
A Trio of Studios Designs the Carcavelos Health Complex
Subterranean Courtyard Galleries
Buzz Designs the Hermit Space Yards in Beijing Park
Hempcrete Garden Office Studios
Van Laethem Architecten Creates the New Garden Office
Waste Tarp-Made Public Seating
The Membran Collective Joins the Urban Networks Project
Minimal Philosophy Toronto Homes
Burdifilek Designs the Sleek Forest Hill Residence
Contemporary Rental Housing Series
EC3 Designs the Canopy Series of Buildings in Detroit
Community-Centric Office Spaces
Shubin Donaldson Architects Designs the Tricon Residential Office
Hidden Urban Oasis Cottages
Winwood McKenzie Adds an Extension to the Quarry House
Interior Plant Design Services
Plantd Life Capitalizes on the Springtime to Boost Its Offerings
Draped Plant-Design Shopping Centers
INgenhoven Associates Redesigns the Calwer Passage
School-Converted Lifestyle Hubs
FARM and Nice Projects Join to Convert the New Bahru Building
Greenhouse-Topped Residences
Moe Architecten Adds a Greenhouse on Top of the Wooden House
Hollow Terracotta Pillared Gardens
Formafantasma Creates the Biodiversity Island in Champagne
Multifunctional Circular Housing Blocks
Gensler's EVE Park Design has Integrated EV Parking Towers
Unwinding Multifunctional Charging Stations
EFFEKT Designs the Better Energy Charge Park
Immersive Garden Bar Experiences
BLOOM Explores America's First Botanical Garden in NYC
Resilient Concrete Sea Walls
Turenscape Creates the Breathing Sea Wall in Haikou City
Bamboo-Clad Residential Homes
i29 Designs the Open Park Villa to Connect with Nature
Medieval Cottage Steel Extensions
Greenaway Architecture Adds to the Watercress Cottage
Sustainable Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuur Atelier Designs the Green Arc in a Garden
Island-Based Cannabis Farms
Mailen Design Unveils a New GrowLab Organics Space on the Isle of Man
Garden-Like Airport Terminals
SOM Designs a Terminal at the Kempegowda International Airport
Serene Wooden Garden Pavilions
Byró Architekti Designs the Garden Pavilion in Prague
Environmentally Blending Residences
A Threshold Studio Designs the Ineffable Light Home
Outdoor Floral Sculpture Installations
These Sculptures at Kew Gardens Are Made by Marc Quinn
Hempcrete-Crafted Sustainable Workspaces
Commonbond Architects Designs the Gardenhide Studio
Rocky Garden-Nestled Serene Pavilions
Temp Designs the 3-to-1 Pavilion in a Rocky Garden
Personal Cubicle Concepts
Ma. Camilla Isabel Reyes Designs a Personal Working Pod Concept
Italian Rooftop Restaurants
Public Gardens in Toronto Offers a NYC-Inspired Oasis
Floating-Style Classroom Designs
Ennead Architects & Rockwell Group Completes the Bloomberg Center
Artful Garden Inflatable Spheres
Nic Brundson Designs the (This is) Air Project in Melbourne
Lush Garden-Focused Melbourne Homes
Splinter Society designs the Gardener's House in Melbourne
Tranquil Functional Home Designs
Atelier Varun Goyal Designs the Modern Courtyard House
Bridge-Defining Tranquil Cities
BIG Studio Showcases the Plans for Mindfulness City
Lush Garden Holiday Homes
Studio Vio Highlights Tradition for the De Hue Space in Hue, Vietnam
Woodland-Inspired Timber Office Spaces
Atelier du Pont Completes the Pavilion Jardins Building
Greenery-Filled Skyscraper Terrarium
ODA Presents a Look at the Terrarium Cheong-Dam Design
Spiralled Roof Horticultural Centers
KPMB Architects Designs the Leaf Building in Winnipeg
IoT-Integrated Vertical Gardens
Hexagro's Smart Vertical Garden Clovy Revolutionizes Urban Farming
Angled Concrete Forest Homes
Nendo Designs the Block Wall House in a Japanese Forest
Ergonomic Latticed Sofa Designs
Eva Schildt Designs the Gardener's Sofa for Design House
Clover-Style Conference Center Designs
MAD Designs the ZGC International Innovation Center
Solo Flexible Study Spaces
YounghanChung Architects Designs the Tiny Forest Study Space
Cozy Gaden Cabin Retreats
BYRÓ architekti Designs the Garden Pavilion with Wooden Detail
Converted Market Building Nurseries
Vurpas Architectes Creates the Eugénie Brazier Building
Hidden Garden Timber Pavilions
Tikari Works Designs A Room Around a Tree in London
Structural Concrete Arts Centers
DUO Finishes the Nanchang OCT Contemporary Arts Centre
Three-Story Garden Residences
AtelierM Designed the Nirvana House in Pilar, Argentina
Lake-Overlooking Tiled Pavilions
BIG Designs the Jinji Lake Pavilion Overlooking Suzhou Lake
Hotel-Based Garden Terraced Columns
WOHA Designs the Pan Pacific Orchard with Garden Terraces
Garden-Focused Victorian Terrace House
Austin Maynard Architects Designs the Helvetia House
Traditional Sustainable School Designs
Heatherwick Studio Showcases Plans for Universidad Ean
Poetic Habourfront Nature Centers
3XN Created the Centre for Coastal Nature and Sport Fishing
Concrete Cultural Visitor Centers
UAD Completes the Villagers' Home Center in Zhejiang Province
Industrial-Inspired Housing Units
Conen Sigl Designs the Westhof Housing Block in Zurich
Nature-Themed Modern Workspaces
The New Natwest Office in London Features Greenery Throughout
Reanimated Power Plant Parks
BIG Reimagined a Power Plant from 1950s on Manresa Island
Electric Heritage-Based Apartments
Yana Molodykh Renovates the Landscape Alley Apartment
Natural Landscape-Surrounding Homes
All(zone) Designs the Under the Rain Trees Holiday Home
Warm Weather-Catered Renovations
Dig Studio and Lake Flato Renovate the Scottsdale Civic Plaza
Spine-Based Central Design Buildings
Foster + Partners Designs the Hangzhou Center
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Flower-Shapes Greenhouse Gardens
Cobe Designs the Opera Park on a Copenhagen Island
Waterfront Transformation Public Park
Sasaki Updates the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade
Electric Garden-Nestled Cottages
NOKE Architects Designs the House of Color in Poland
Shaded Modern Outdoor Furniture
mmcité street furniture Designs the UFO Shelter for Outdoors
History Museum Garden Renovations
London's Natural History Museum Underwent a Five-Acre Makeover
Transformed Disused Steelwork Structures
Delugan Meissl Designs Expo Cultural Park Greenhouse
Unconventional Chinese Housing Estates
Atelier GOM Designs the Longnan Garden Estate
Mirrored Panel Tropical Gardens
Research Artistic Design + Architecture Designs the Frame Garden
Garden-Connecting Melbourne Homes
Splinter Society Renovates and Extends the Gardener's House
Urban Green Space Overhauls
Four of London's green spaces will receive a makeover
Sustainable Transportation System Concepts
Xiqiao Wang Designed the Eco-Friendly TREO Concept
City Exploration Apps
Concrete is a Social Exploration App Inviting Users to Discover Their City
Retro Gabled Greenhouse Additions
BHY Arquitectos Renovates the Casa Wiz in Buenos Aires
Plant Pod-Inspired Pendant Lights
Sujeet Kakad Designs the Nature Inspired Pendant Light
Plant-Aiding Hydroponic Systems
turf is an Energy-Harvesting Conceptual Cultivation System
Botanical Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuuratelier and Archipelago Create the Green Ark Pavilion
Flood-Defence Nature Parks
CF Møller Integrates an Architectural Multi-Tool with a Nature Park
Structural Smart Indoor Gardens
The Plantafrom Smart Indoor Garden is Sustainably Designed
Expansive Roofs Concrete Homes
Studio MOB Creates a House in the Farm in Coimbatore
Fostered Design Curations
Brompton Design District Unveil Conviviality: The Art of Living Together
Nature-Connecting Design Installations
OMCC and Diez Office Unveil the Vert Installation
Bamboo Screen-Wrapped Restaurants
Long Nguyen Design Creates the Nhà Tú Garden Restaurant
Nature-Inspired Design Objects
Students at Tecnológico de Monterrey Design the Plant-Based Series
Art Center Sweeping Canopies
Kengo Kuma & Associates Extend the Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian
Greenery-Surrounding Lush Homes
Ho Khue Architects Creates the Nest House in Vietnam
Multifamily Canadian Housing Developments
MODA Unveils the GROW Project with Roof Gardens
Arched Garden-Topped Cultural Centers
Atelier Apeiron Creates the Hengqin Culture and Art Complex
Renovated Cottage Garden Extensions
John Ellway Renovates a Cottage with New Extensions
Glamorous Urban Tranquil Villas
GROWTO DESIGN Presents the Natural Villa in China