The winners of the City of Stuttgart's 2025 environmental photo competition were honored on Tuesday, December 2, in the city library on Mailänder Platz. The motto of the competition was "On the way to becoming a sponge city - green, resilient, sustainable". Citizens were invited to capture their views on sustainable urban development in photographs. They were looking for motifs showing how Stuttgart is becoming more resilient to the challenges of climate change, particularly extreme weather events, for example by greening facades, unsealing surfaces or other measures.
Photos in the categories of adults and children and young people up to the age of 14 could be submitted until August 1, 2025. The submissions highlighted the diverse perspectives on the topic of the sponge city. An expert jury selected the winners.
At the award ceremony and presentation of certificates in the city library, Andreas Neft, Head of the Office for Environmental Protection, praised the commitment of the participants in the competition: "The photographs we received show in an impressive way how citizens perceive Stuttgart and what potential they see for a sponge city. Some pictures clearly show where there is still a need for action, while others show that we can already find many good approaches in our city."
Exhibition in the city library
Christiane Rost, head of the city library on Mailänder Platz, emphasized: "We are delighted to be able to address this highly topical and important issue here in the city library with the four winning photos." She added that she hoped that by presenting the pictures on level 4, she had found an exhibition space that would encourage people to engage with the topics of environmental and climate protection. The immediate proximity to the library areas of natural sciences and the environment as well as the presentation on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations) create links to other subject areas.
With the competition, the city of Stuttgart not only recognizes the creativity of the participants, but also makes visible the diversity of ideas that contribute to a future-oriented city. The award-winning photos show that a sponge city is much more than a technical concept; it is already shaping everyday life in many places in Stuttgart. The exhibition illustrates these different facets and invites visitors to view, discuss and deepen their understanding of green and resilient urban development.
