The Eifel tower surrounded by trees.

Image by Anthony DELANOIX

A European Partnership for Greener, More Resilient Cities

To make cities greener and preserve biodiversity, Urban Nature Plans + is a project that offers European municipalities a practical guide inspired by the successes of Paris and Barcelona, to integrate nature into all aspects of urban life.

 

The Urban Nature Plan+ (UNP+) project aims to support the restoration and preservation of biodiversity in urban environments. Its aim is to build a toolbox to help European cities draw up development plans that enhance the presence of nature in the city. For the City of Paris, the project is led by the Agence d'écologie urbaine of the Direction des Espaces Verts et de l'Environnement.

 

Project summary

UNP+ was developed in response to the European Union's biodiversity strategy for 2030, which calls for all towns and cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants to invest in urban greening, by creating an Urban Nature Plan. As part of this project, 11 university partners and 5 European cities, including Paris, are studying the innovations and obstacles linked to the development and protection of nature in the urban environment.

 

The aim is to create a 10-step methodology that will be made available to local authorities in the Member States to help them develop nature in the city. UNP+ aims to make biodiversity a priority for all of a city's operational departments and services (mobility, waste management, roads, housing, public health, communication, education, etc., and not just the green spaces department) in order to speed up the transition.

This framework is inspired by the experience of Paris and Barcelona, which are already committed to greening and protecting biodiversity in their areas.

 

Over the three years of the project, the cities of Mannheim (Germany), Belgrade (Serbia) and Burgas (Bulgaria) will test this methodology, established in dialogue with the group of researchers, to propose adjustments and ensure the relevance and impact of the recommendations. This project will enable Paris to share its experience of accelerated revegetation and the preservation of biodiversity in a dense urban area, and to inspire many European local authorities.

 

Aims of the project
  • To develop a methodology for drawing up urban nature strategies that can be shared and replicated by local authorities of all sizes and with different resources across Europe in order to achieve the objectives of the European Biodiversity 2030 strategy.
  • Propose a framework for cooperation between local authorities, the private sector, civil society and academia to share knowledge, encourage co-creation and build skills in biodiversity in the urban environment.
  • Integrating social challenges, environmental justice and equity into spatial planning processes
  • Strengthening the resilience of territories through the use of innovative practices such as nature-based solutions
  • Exchanging best practice between professionals through site visits in the various cities involved in the project

 

Partners

This project brings together 17 partners, in addition to 5 cities (Paris, Barcelona Regional, Mannheim, Belgrade, Burgas) coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Milan (Italy) and the ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) network of cities:

 

Funding

The project is funded by the European Union's research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe 2021-2027. Its budget is €4.5 million for the period 2024-2027, including €177,500 from the City of Paris.

  • Total project budget: 4.5 million €
  • Financing City of Paris: 177 500€

 

This article has been translated from French. You can find the original article here.

 

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