Paris shows how citizen-driven greening can make cities cooler and fairer
As European cities prepare Urban Nature Plans, one insight from ICLEI Member Paris (France) stands out: urban greening only succeeds when residents help shape it.
Over the past decade, Paris has expanded tree planting, opened green and blue corridors – connecting parks, waterways and former railway lines, allowing flora and fauna to move freely across the metropolis – and has restored water quality in the Seine. As a result, species diversity has grown tenfold since the 1970s – and Parisians can now swim in the river once again.
The city’s reimagining of its urban landscape was made possible through an ambitious biodiversity agenda, beginning with its 2011 Biodiversity Plan and continuing through today’s 2025 Biodiversity Strategy. Milestones include greening schoolyards, transforming 10% of city streets into pedestrian-friendly spaces and planting 150,000 trees by 2025.
But the city says the biggest gains come from working directly with communities, especially in areas most affected by heat and pollution. Through participatory budgeting, social housing safeguards and community-led design, Paris ensures greening efforts enhance – rather than displace – local communities.
UNP+ supports this shift by helping cities develop Urban Nature Plans that combine data, equity and public participation. Paris’s experience shows how mapping heat risks, identifying biodiversity gaps and involving citizens early can guide smarter investment.
The city’s advice for others is simple: start with a shared vision, engage people from the beginning and treat nature as a common good. Urban nature plans work best when cities and citizens act together.
Hear more about Paris’ successes in the most recent episode of Local Voices for Sustainability: How Paris is growing into a garden city, in which host Laura Schubert (ICLEI Europe) speaks with Céleste Roberol, International Projects and Outreach Manager at the Agency for Urban Ecology for the City of Paris, about how the French capital is redefining its relationship with nature.
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