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Nantes unveils plans for a green makeover of its city centre
Nantes is planning to build a green promenade in the city centre, noting that the project is aimed at replacing paved surfaces with greenery.
City authorities headed by Mayor of Nantes Johanna Rolland stressed the importance of reducing the heat island effect and improving biodiversity, which the project will contribute to.
The project is to be completed in autumn of 2025 and will transform the Saint-André Square and the Duchesse-Anne car park into a green belt, which will improve air quality, serve as a carbon sink and improve quality of life in Nantes.
City authorities pointed out that broader environmental plans adopted in 2022 include replacing roughly 7 hectares of paved surfaces with greenery, stressing that the move will help with management of surface runoff and minimise negative effects of heat waves.
After new temperature records were set last summer, Nantes decided to replace an additional hectare of paved surfaces with trees and shrubs.
The two areas that will be transformed into a green promenade have a combined surface area of more than 8,000 square metres, with city authorities pointing out that the project is worth EUR 2.3 million.
Nantes noted that the Saint-André Square will retain its popular functions, including the hosting of fairs, while offering residents and visitors a natural area to relax.
(Photo credit: Bureau d’études – Direction Nature et Jardins)
