Marseille, Marseille (FUA), France
City population: 1850000
Duration: 2023 – 2029
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Roads / Roadsides, Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: October 2024

The "Plan Arbre" is a tool for ecological planning and renaturation aiming to plant 308,000 trees between 2023 and 2029, sourced from the municipal nursery with seeds purchased from local suppliers (Ref 1, Ref 2). In 2023, 14,922 trees were planted, with plans to double this number in 2024 (Ref 1). The project addresses the loss of 50% of Marseille's natural spaces over the past 75 years, aiming to reverse this trend and reintroduce nature into the urban environment (Ref 2). It also tackles issues like drought and heatwaves, particularly in summer, by using trees and shrubs to cool the air, restore biodiversity, reduce air pollution, and enhance public spaces while absorbing CO2 (Ref 2). The plan is divided into two phases. Phase I focuses on planting in Marseille's 58 parks and 273 squares and gardens, as well as around childcare centres, schools, socio-cultural centres, and sports facilities (Ref 2, Ref 3). From 2020 to 2023, various improvements were made, including playground renovations, installation of misting systems, automatic watering, and the creation of a CrossFit area (Ref 3). Phase II will involve identifying major boulevards, avenues, and streets lacking trees to enhance the urban canopy (Ref 2). A diverse range of tree species were selected for their drought resistance, water efficiency, and ability to attract biodiversity (Ref 2, Ref 3). The project also focuses on increasing biodiversity and managing invasive species through natural methods to protect trees from pests without chemicals (Ref 3). Furthermore, the initiative includes de-impermeabilizing soils and implementing a smart irrigation system with tensiometric sensors, developed with the start-up GreenCityZen, which has saved 66% of water in two years (Ref 3). The Plan Arbre also promotes citizen participation, with 23 parks selected for community gardening projects, where ten winning associations will receive plants from the municipal nursery (Ref 1).

This parc is going to be renaturalized, as its whole avenues of concrete with no trees is a “symbol of everything that should not have been done” in terms of green space management.”
This park in Marseille with alleys made of concrete is going to be planted with trees
https://madeinmarseille.net/150037-avec-son-plan-arbres-marseille-veut-planter-300-000-arbres-dici-2029/ accessed on 03/09/2024

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
  • Green corridors and green belts

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Climate-Related Hazards
  • Drought
  • Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
  • Environmental Degradation
  • Deforestation and forest degradation
  • Air pollution
  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Rapid urbanization

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees

Project objectives

1) to plant 308,000 trees between 2023 and 2029, including 8,000 mature trees (Ref 1) 2) to reintroduce nature into the urban environment (Ref 2) 3) to tackle issues of drought and heatwaves (Ref 2) 4) to cool the air (Ref 2) 5) to restore biodiversity (Ref 2) and manage the invasive species (Ref 3) 6) to reduce air pollution (Ref 2) 7) to absorb CO2 (Ref 2).

Implementation activities

1) To plant 308,000 trees between 2023 and 2029, including 8,000 mature trees (Ref 1). - In 2023, 14,922 trees were planted, including 1,167 mature trees (Ref 1) - In 2024 it is planned to double it (Ref 1) - Plantation of a diverse range of tree species, such as apple trees, mulberries, plane trees, fig-trees, jujube trees, ginkgo, carob trees, grapevines (Ref 3), and honey locusts (Ref 2) - Planting in Marseille's 58 parks and 273 squares and gardens, as well as around childcare centres, schools, socio-cultural centres, and sports facilities (Phase I) (Ref 2, Ref 3). - Planting on major boulevards, avenues, and streets lacking trees (Phase II) (Ref 2) 2) de-impermeabilizing soils (Ref 3) 3) implementing a smart irrigation system (Ref 3)

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
  • Other

Climate change mitigation:

  • Install vertical or horizontal artificial surfaces that help with carbon storage and cooling
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes

Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities

Low-income neighborhoods, Coastal communities, Urban heat islands, Communities near industrial areas

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore native species
  • Clear and control invasive alien species
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

- the City of Marseille is leading the project (Ref 2) - local associations contribute to implementing the project (through a call for project proposals) (Ref 2)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Marseille 2030 Climate Objective strategy (Marseille 2030 Objectif Climat))

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Expected lowered local temperature
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
  • Expected prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Expected improved air quality
  • Improved soil quality
  • Expected improved soil quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Achieved increased green space area
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Expected reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present
  • Expected increased number of species present
  • Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
  • Expected improved prevention or control of invasive alien species

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Expected improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Expected improved access to urban green space
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Expected improved physical health
  • Reduced risk of heatstroke and/or dehydration
  • Expected reduced risk of heatstroke and/or dehydration

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Azemard, S. (2023). Marseille : la Ville veut planter 308 000 arbres d’ici à 2029. Marseille: mesinfos.fr, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Marseille.fr (2023). Un Plan Arbres pour une Ville plus verte. Marseille: Marseille.fr, p. 1-2 Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Made In Marseille (2023). Avec son « Plan Arbres », Marseille veut planter 300 000 arbres d’ici 2029. Marseille: Made In Marseille, p. 1-6 Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
4.
City of Marseille (2023). EXTRAIT DES REGISTRES DES DELIBERATIONS DU CONSEIL MUNICIPAL ___Séance du 10 Février 2023. Marseille: City of Marseille, p. 1-4 Accessed on September 3, 2024,;
5.
INSEE (2021). Dossier complet Commune de Marseille (13055). Marseille: INSEE, Accessed on September 3, 2024, [Source link];
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.