Last updated: November 2021
The construction of a new main bus station inaugurated in 2014, is part of a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage users to favor bus routes (Ref. 1). Part of this construction project, a vegetal wall of 210 meters long and 8 meters high has been implemented in order to act on noise (-20 decibels) and visual pollution, and improve air quality. It will be the largest public vegetal wall in France. (Ref. 4, page 26)
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Green walls or facades
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change mitigation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Noise reduction
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving physical health
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
-"The vegetated wall is designed to act directly on noise pollution and to contribute to the improvement of air quality by absorption of pollutants, and decibels."
-"Finally, a green wall, green spaces created on the site, giving priority to the diversity of species to be planted, as well as a vast vegetated roof, will limit the waterproofed spaces of the development operation and reduce wastewater"
-"A veritable element of urban ecology, this development responds to the problem of the landscape integration of the equipment and the visual quality of the project."(Ref. 3, page 34)
-construction of a new main bus station and its vegetal wall, inaugurated in 2014, is part of a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to encourage users to favor bus routes (Ref. 1).
Implementation activities
-"A green wall, a vast vegetated roof, to limit the waterproofed spaces of the development operation and reduce wastewater" (Ref. 3, page 34) and green spaces created on the site, giving priority to the diversity of species to be planted, as well as a vast vegetated roof" (Ref. 3, page 34)
-"the green wall is designed to act directly on pollution sound and to help improve air quality by absorption pollutants, and decibels. The greening of the retaining wall which bordering the Bus Station to the south, will offer additional plant area and significant for air purification and oxygen production." (Ref. 3, page 34)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Climate change mitigation:
- Invest in public transport/bicycle infrastructure as a means to prevent car use
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
-Developer: SPLA Pays d'Aix Territories (Local Public Works Company)
-Work Management (but not the initiators): Agence Duthilleul mandataire (Architect Jean-Marie Duthilleul), AREP (Multidisciplinary studies office of urbanism, private sector), Egis France (engineering services in the field of urban development, private sector), Egis Bâtiments (private sector) (Ref. 2)
-Local and regional authorities are the main initiators and financed this project (Ref. 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
("The construction of the new bus station is part of a desire (from the local and regional authorities) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to make users prefer bus routes" (Ref. 1))
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
- Public local authority budget
- Other
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Reduced emissions
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Reduced noise exposure
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Other
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
- Improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Métropole Aix-Marseille Provence (2014). "Nouvelle gare routière du Pays d'Aix : laissez-vous transporter...". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
2. AREP (2014). "GARE ROUTIÈRE D'AIX". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
3. SPLA PAYS D’AIX TERRITOIRES (n.d). "GARE ROUTIÈRE AIX-EN-PROVENCE, 13". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
4. Aix en provence (2013). "Aix-en-Provence, la métamorphose d’une ville". HORS-SERIE - Supplément aixendialogue n°58. Available at Source link (Accessed:Jul 07 2020).
5. La Marseillaise (2018). "Aix : le mur végétalisé de la gare routière se meurt". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
2. AREP (2014). "GARE ROUTIÈRE D'AIX". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
3. SPLA PAYS D’AIX TERRITOIRES (n.d). "GARE ROUTIÈRE AIX-EN-PROVENCE, 13". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).
4. Aix en provence (2013). "Aix-en-Provence, la métamorphose d’une ville". HORS-SERIE - Supplément aixendialogue n°58. Available at Source link (Accessed:Jul 07 2020).
5. La Marseillaise (2018). "Aix : le mur végétalisé de la gare routière se meurt". Available at Source link (Accessed: Jul 07 2020).