With the rise in heatwaves and urban temperatures, the importance of urban planning focused on vegetation has gained priority.
Kermap, a Breton company, recently published a detailed evaluation of the vegetative cover of major French cities on nosvillesvertes.fr, utilizing satellite imagery.
Nice, Aix-en-Provence, and Saint-Cloud have stood out, surpassing cities like Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Dunkirk, and Boulogne-Billancourt.
Thanks to aerial photos from IGN, accurate up to 20 centimeters, and artificial intelligence, the study concluded that Nice is the most tree-covered major city in France. Nice boasts a shrub cover of 33% of its urban space, surpassing Montpellier and Marseille. Moreover, among the major cities, Nice also stands out for having the largest green space per capita (53 m²/hab), surpassing Toulouse and Montpellier.
The benefits of urban greening.
The study by Kermap also highlights the climate benefits of densely tree-covered urban areas. According to Kermap, peripheral areas can experience a temperature decrease of five degrees compared to the city center due to the presence of trees.
As mentioned by Radio France, the study “The Lancet,” published in February 2023, also emphasized the health benefits of urban greening. It estimates that one-third of heat-related deaths during summer could be prevented through increased vegetative coverage.
Nice, Green Capital of the Mediterranean
Since 2008, Nice has been committed to transforming the city into the green capital of the Mediterranean.
In the face of the climate emergency, the city is investing in various green projects, such as soil permeability, the creation of natural spaces, greening schools, and urban agriculture. Its goal is to create an additional 70 hectares of green spaces, contributing to the fight against climate change and enhancing the well-being of its residents.
These actions are part of the “Plan Climat Air Énergie Territorial 2019-2025” of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Nice Ville Verte Fund
The city recently launched the participatory fund “Nice Ville Verte” to encourage local businesses’ involvement in the ongoing greening process.
This fund aims to incentivize companies to contribute financially to greening efforts while providing them visibility on concrete initiatives undertaken, helping them acquire carbon credits and benefit from tax deductions related to the patronage law.
Sources : Kermap, Radio France
