{"id":142927,"date":"2025-09-17T08:08:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/142927\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T08:08:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:08:08","slug":"gensler-plans-sprawling-forests-on-former-military-campsite-in-baghdad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/142927\/","title":{"rendered":"gensler plans sprawling forests on former military campsite in baghdad"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>gensler\u2019s forested vision for baghdad<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Baghdad Sustainable Forests, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/masterplans-and-urban-revitalization\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">masterplan<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/gensler\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gensler<\/a> in partnership with Emkanat, proposes an ambitious transformation of a neglected site along the River Tigris into a vast <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/landscape-architecture-and-design\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">urban forest<\/a> and mixed-use district. Extending across ten million square meters on a former military campsite, the project aims to repair decades of environmental damage and set a precedent for large-scale ecological renewal in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/architecture-in-iraq\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Iraq<\/a>\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The design introduces a landscape framework of dense forests, parks, and water features that form the structural spine of the development. More than one million trees are planned to capture an estimated 22,000 metric tons of CO\u2082 annually, improving air quality and cooling the microclimate. A network of green corridors ties together public plazas, shaded pathways, and quiet garden spaces, encouraging walking, cycling, and e-scooter use while preserving the integrity of the site\u2019s ecosystems.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154783 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"gensler baghdad sustainable forests\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/static.designboom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gensler-baghdad-sustainable-forests-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>images courtesy Gensler, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bucharest.studio\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Bucharest Studio<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>a series of villages along the Tigris river<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gensler.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Gensler<\/a>\u2019s plan organizes the district into a series of gateways and villages that integrate residential, commercial, and cultural functions. Anchoring the entrance, the Al Rasheed Gateway features a 260-meter (850-foot) hospitality and office tower, while the River Gateway restores access to the Tigris with promenades and gathering spaces. The National Pavilion, set within formal gardens, stands as a civic landmark at 110 meters (360 feet) high, symbolizing Baghdad\u2019s renewal.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Specialized hubs such as the Science &amp; Education Village, Tech &amp; Innovation Village, and Creative Village support research, entrepreneurship, and cultural exchange. Wellness-oriented clusters like the Vitality Village and Family Resort focus on recreation and health, embedding daily life within the landscape. These clusters are designed to grow with the city with a flexible framework for future development.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154784 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"gensler baghdad sustainable forests\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/static.designboom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gensler-baghdad-sustainable-forests-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the proposal covers 10 million square meters on the former Al Rasheed military site<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Environmental Repair for sustainable forests<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gensler\u2019s Baghdad Sustainable Forests masterplan reflects Iraq\u2019s 2023\u20132030 National Environmental Strategy, as it aims to restore degraded land and counter desertification. What was once a site filled with more than forty-five million tons of waste will become an active engine of ecological repair and public life. Forested belts and thematic groves \u2014 including areas dedicated to arts and culture, sports, wellness, and children\u2019s play \u2014 create a varied sequence of experiences while reinforcing biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For Gensler and Emkanat, the project carries a symbolic weight. By reclaiming a heavily polluted site and turning it into a living, publicly accessible landscape, the masterplan creates a new dialogue between Baghdad and the Tigris. Forest trails, shaded civic plazas, and community gardens lend a daily rhythm of use that links environmental health with the social life of the city.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154785 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"gensler baghdad sustainable forests\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/static.designboom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gensler-baghdad-sustainable-forests-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>Baghdad Sustainable Forests is designed to transform a neglected riverfront into an urban forest<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154786 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"gensler baghdad sustainable forests\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/static.designboom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gensler-baghdad-sustainable-forests-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>green corridors connect plazas, gardens, and shaded paths for walking and cycling<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1154787 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"gensler baghdad sustainable forests\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/static.designboom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/gensler-baghdad-sustainable-forests-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>specialized villages support education, innovation, culture, and wellness<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"gensler\u2019s forested vision for baghdad \u00a0 Baghdad Sustainable Forests, a masterplan by Gensler in partnership with Emkanat, proposes&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":142928,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[66138,6225,6485,6486,1120,96,28033,66139,10956,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-142927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-architecture-in-iraq","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-design","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-gensler","15":"tag-landscape-architecture-and-design","16":"tag-masterplans-and-urban-revitalization","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom","19":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/142928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}