1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Marseille (FUA)
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Végétalisation des rues
Short description of the intervention
Since October 2015, the City of Marseille has implemented a vegetation permit called "Visa Vert" (Green Visa), as well as a "Charter for the vegetation of public spaces in Marseille", which allow individuals to install plants in public spaces
while respecting the safety and use of the tracks by other users. Plants, flowers and shrubs can thus contribute to the beautification of the living environment and "bring a bit of nature into the city" (Ref. 1). The charter aims to “ accompany and support initiatives to revegetate the streets and promote collective actions that contribute to embellishing the living environment ”, but also to “ enhance the presence of plants in the city, to respect the public space which belongs to all and thus to improve living together ” (Ref. 5).
Address

All around the city
13000 Marseille
France

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
The initiative is city wide but only applies to public spaces; private spaces do not require a "green visa" (Ref. 1). "If your project is located in a private space, you do not need a greening permit. You must then contact the owner" (Ref. 1).
Website of the intervention
http://environnement.marseille.fr/nature-en-ville/vegetalisation-des-rues
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2015
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Goals of the intervention
-"Improvement of the living environment (valorisation of the plant in the city, respect for the public shared space, improvement of the overall community)"
-Improving "living together" (Ref. 3)
-"To brighten up your sad street, and that corner of pavement abandoned under your windows.
To bring color and awaken the gray of stone and bitumen.
To put your hands in the ground.
To make the city more beautiful, more welcoming and less stressful.
To find the pleasure of pacing the city.
To be content to live where you live." (Ref. 4, page 4)
-"Promote animal and plant biodiversity" (Ref. 4, page 21)
-Plantation in the street to reduce air pollution (Ref 4)
-Reduce the effect of urban heat islands (Ref. 4)
-Improved stormwater management: “In the Mediterranean region, severe thunderstorms are frequent. Vegetated surfaces participate in slowing the flow of stormwater. The plants themselves, by fixing certain pollutants, improve the quality of the infiltration water and discharges into rivers and seas” (Ref. 4).
Quantitative targets
-"The Visa Vert (Green Visa) is granted for a period of 3 years, renewable for a maximum of 12 years."(Ref. 1)
-"Do not allow the vegetation to exceed 2,20 meters in height or overflow more than 15 cm outside the container" (Ref. 2, page 3)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of visas granted (Ref. 8)
Number visa applications (Ref. 8).
Visa processing time (Ref. 1)
Height and width of vegetation in public spaces (Ref. 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social cohesion
Social interaction
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Enabling opportunities for physical activity
Improving mental health
Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
Sustainable production
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce exposure to climate risks directly
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Public engagement
Implementation activities
-"It is necessary to obtain a prior authorization from the City of Marseille: it is the principle of the greening permit called Visa Vert" (Ref. 1)
-Creation of a guide for the city of Marseille by the association "Passeurs de Jardins": "this guide proposes to accompany you in the adventure of the vegetation of the streets. Here you will find ideas, tips, tricks, tools, and ideas to help you express your creativity and your sensitivity while giving you pleasure." (Ref. 4, page 3)
-"The Green Visa holder agrees to use organic gardening methods such as organic fertilizers, compost, compost or compost that stimulates the natural defenses (elicitors) and chooses plants from the list of plants recommended by the SEVN (Municipality Green Space and Nature Services)." (Ref. 5)
-"For example, but this remains minimal, some planters or flower pots prevent the good passage of people in wheelchairs or strollers, and others are not sufficiently supervised and cause the proliferation of the tiger mosquito. Or, some residents use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that affect the quality of the air" (Ref. 5).
- Planting is intended to enhance pollination as "Sidewalk plants, as long as the streets be calm, and that the mass effect is sufficient, can also offer them food and lodging [for beneficial insects]" (Ref. 4).
Type of NBS project
Strategy, plan or policy development
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Balcony greens
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
House gardens
Institutional green space
Please specify "other Climate change adaptation activity"

Vegetation Type
Shrubs
Flower beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Pollination
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Marginalized groups
Marginalized groups
People with functional diversities
Please specify other local relevant strategy
This plan itself is an "Ambitious and voluntary policy initiated by the City of Marseille in favor of the return of nature in the city" (Ref. 3, page 1)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Citizens or community groups
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
-"Since October 2015, the City of Marseille has implemented a vegetation permit called Visa Vert, as well as a "Charter for the vegetation of public spaces in Marseille", which allow individuals to occupy temporarily and free public space by the installation of plants" (Ref. 1)
-The guide has been created by the association "Passeurs de Jardins" of Marseille: "Designed and realized by the association Passeurs de Jardins for Marseille and the cities of the Mediterranean littoral zone, this guide proposes to accompany you in the adventure of the vegetation. Here you will find ideas, tips, tricks, tools, and ideas to help you express your creativity and your sensitivity, while giving you pleasure" (Ref. 4, page 3).
-The guide of the greening of the streets of Marseille has been created by the association "PASSEURS DE JARDINS" in partnership with the Laboratory Population Environment Development, Aix-Marseille University / IRD (Institute of Research and Development) and the National School of Landscape Marseille / LAREP (Newspaper). (Ref. 4, page 78)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
District/neighbourhood association
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
LAREP (Newspaper). (Ref. 4, page 78)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Researchers/university
Citizens or community group
District/neighbourhood association
Other
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Co-management/Joint management
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
"In line with the Territorial Climate Plan adopted by the Municipal Council's decision of December 15, 2008, the City of Marseille wishes to accompany and support residents in their initiatives to green the streets and to promote collective actions in new practices in favor of improvement of the living environment (valorisation of the plant in the city, respect for the public space, improvement of the overall community)." (Ref. 3, page 1)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
This plan itself is an "Ambitious and voluntary policy initiated by the City of Marseille in favor of the return of nature in the city" (Ref. 3, page 1)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
"In line with the Territorial Climate Plan adopted by the Municipal Council's decision of December 15, 2008" (Ref. 3, page 1)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific climate change policy or plan
Other
Please specify other vegetation type
"...certain plants are prohibited , such as vulnerable plants such as agaves because they can hurt passers-by. Planting Mediterranean plants, which consume little water and are well adapted to the climate, should be favored" (Ref. 1).
vegetation (Ref 1), plants (Ref 5)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The guide of the greening of the streets of Marseille has been created by the association "PASSEURS DE JARDINS" in partnership with the Laboratory Population Environment Development, Aix-Marseille University / IRD (Institute of Research and Development) and the National School of Landscape Marseille / LAREP (Newspaper). (Ref. 4, page 78)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Some research must have been done by some of the partners of the guide such as the Laboratory Population Environment Development, Aix-Marseille University, IRD (Institute of Research and Development) and the National School of Landscape Marseille (Ref. 4, page 78)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Unknown
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of land
Provision of labour
Provision of other services
Other
Please specify other type of non-financial contribution
guide has been created by the association "Passeurs de Jardins" of Marseille: "Designed and realized by the association Passeurs de Jardins for Marseille and the cities of the Mediterranean littoral zone, this guide proposes to accompany you in the adventure of the vegetation. Here you will find ideas, tips, tricks, tools, and ideas to help you express your creativity and your sensitivity, while giving you pleasure" (Ref. 4, page 3).
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Other
Business models
Green densification model
Local stewardship model
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Please specify other environmental impact
climbing plants limit the reverberation of buildings (Ref. 4).
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Social
Policy innovation
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
Plantation in the street to reduce air pollution and promote animal and flora biodiversity - The Charter prevents any use of chemical and recommends biological techniques (Ref. 5).
Please specify social innovation
Policy innovation with the "Green Visa" to obtain from the city to follow the rules in order to improve the nature in the street while respecting the shared public space.
Cultural innovation because it is promoting nature and collaboration among residents to incorporate nature in their neighborhood while creating social bonds within the framework of the city's strategy of "living together" (Ref. 3).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
"After Paris, Bordeaux or Grenoble, Marseille decided to adopt a charter of vegetation of the streets of the city, during its municipal council of October 2015." (Ref. 5)
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Enhanced support of pollination
Other
Description of environmental benefits
Climate change
-Lowered local temperature: “In summer, the reverberation on the walls, asphalt, and stones, helps to raise the temperature, creating a heat bubble called an “urban heat island”. Do you know that plants, by sweating, maintain a certain level of humidity in the air and contribute to freshen up the atmosphere? And that the climbers limit reverberation and contribute to thermal insulation buildings ?” (Ref. 4).

Environmental quality
-Improved air quality: “Vegetation can also capture atmospheric particles and absorb certain pollutants to fix them to the surface of its leaves” (Ref. 4).

Water management and blue areas
-Improved stormwater management: “In the Mediterranean region, severe thunderstorms are frequent. Vegetated surfaces participate in slowing the flow of stormwater. The plants themselves, by fixing certain pollutants, improve the quality of the infiltration water and discharges into rivers and seas” (Ref. 4).

Green space and habitat
-Increased green space area: initiative is intended to increase the number of plants in public spaces (Ref. 1).
-Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems (local habitats for local species): “Vegetation can provide favorable conditions to the most common plant and animal species who see their traditional habitats being fragmented then disappear: the dandelion, the window swallow or the house sparrow, for example and, of course, the butterflies...” (Ref. 4).
-Enhanced support of pollination: "Sidewalk plants, as long as the streets be calm, and that the mass effect is sufficient,
can also offer them food and lodging [for beneficial insects]" (Ref. 4).
-Plantation in the street to reduce air pollution and promote animal and flora biodiversity - The Charter prevents any use of chemical and recommends biological techniques, particularly preventing the proliferation of the tiger mosquito. (Ref. 5).
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Safety
Increased perception of safety
Decreased crime rates
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Education
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Please specify other environmental justice issue
Inclusion of functionally diverse groups: he intention of the initiative is "Not to prevent downtown residents from greening their streets, which would be absurd, moreover, but rather to prevent some from making the street a private space. For example, but this remains minimal, some planters or flower pots prevent the good passage of people in wheelchairs or strollers, and others are not sufficiently supervised and cause the proliferation of the tiger mosquito. Or, some residents use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that affect the quality of the air" (Ref. 5).
Description of social and cultural benefits
Safety and decreased crime:
-Increased perception of safety: “In addition, it seems that gardening the street contributes sense of security and has an impact on incivilities ... on condition, of course, to demonstrate optimism and not to be discouraged from the first stolen or turned into an ashtray! All street gardeners say it, tenacity pays off!” (Ref. 4).

Social justice and cohesion
-"Create social bonds among local residents" (Ref. 4, page 6)
-Improved access to urban green space: The intention of the initiative is "Not to prevent downtown residents from greening their streets, which would be absurd, moreover, but rather to prevent some from making the street a private space" (Ref. 5).
-Increased opportunities for social interaction/social cohesion: “Yes, experience proves it, gardening urban fosters conviviality and improves neighborhood relationships sometimes strained by anonymity large cities” (Ref. 4).
-Increased visibility and opportunities for marginalized groups: The intention of the initiative is "Not to prevent downtown residents from greening their streets, which would be absurd, moreover, but rather to prevent some from making the street a private space. For example, but this remains minimal, some planters or flower pots prevent the good passage of people in wheelchairs or strollers, and others are not sufficiently supervised and cause the proliferation of the tiger mosquito. Or, some residents use chemical fertilizers and pesticides that affect the quality of the air" (Ref. 5).
-Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces/physical health/recreation: “Finally, revegetation encourages residents to get involved in the management of public space, while access, it can limit unauthorized parking on the sidewalks” (Ref. 4).

Cultural heritage and sense of place
-Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "Do you like plants, flowers and you want a piece of nature in front of your doorstep, colors on the gray of the bitumen? Do you want to become a player in the greening of the city by cultivating your street, your neighborhood?" (Ref. 1).

Education
-Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: The charter is intended to inform the public about the benefits of well-managed urban planting (Ref. 4).
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
-"Vegetation favors the presence of nature in the city"
-"Regulates temperature"
-"Mitigates the effects of soil waterproofing"
-"Create social bonds among local residents"
-"Improves air quality" (Ref. 4, page 6)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Water management (SDG 6)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Other
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
Yes
Please specify the negative impacts
It was reported that there was some criticism of the requirements. Some citizens felt that requirements were overly rigid and that processing was inefficient to obtain a green visa in order to do what they had already been doing- planting in public spaces (Ref. 8).
COVID-19 pandemic
No specific information available as of July 27, 2020. Plants in public spaces may have provided less social benefits due to stay at home orders active in all of France from March 16, 2020 to May 11, 2020 (https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19).
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown.
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
Ref. 6
Ref. 7
Ref. 8
Documents relevant to the intervention
Attachment Size
CHARTER OF VEGETALIZATION OF THE PUBLIC AREA IN MARSEILLE (883.12 KB) 883.12 KB
Visa Vert - Example of a temporary occupation of public space authorization (68.62 KB) 68.62 KB
Vegetalization guide (Ref. 4). (6.05 MB) 6.05 MB
List of references
1. Ville de Marseille (n.d). "Végétalisation des rues". Nature en Ville. Available at: https://www.marseille.fr/environnement/nature-en-ville/vegetalisation-des-rues (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
2. Ville de Marseille (n.d ). "La Charte de végétalisation de l'espace publique Marseillais". Direction de l'Environment. (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
3. Ville de Marseille (n.d). "Example d'autorisation d'occupation temporaire de l'espace publique". Website not available in 2020.
4. Association PASSEURS DE JARDINS (n.d). Guide "Végétalisation des rues de marseille & des Villes de l’espace littoral méditerranéen". Available at: https://passeursdejardins.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/guide-vegetalisation-des-rues.pdf (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
5. Julia (2016). "Marseille adopte une charte pour que les habitants verdissent leurs rues". (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
6. Mon Jardin en Ville (Phone Application). Website not available in 2020.
7. La rédaction (2019). "Le Visa Vert, votre passeport pour végétaliser les rues de Marseille". Available at: https://madeinmarseille.net/54205-le-visa-vert-votre-passeport-pour-vegetaliser-les-rues-de-marseille/ (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
8. Vaysse, Clémentine (2017). "Après un départ compliqué, la mairie tente de sauver son visa vert". Marsactu. Available at: https://marsactu.fr/mairie-tente-de-sauver-son-visa-vert/ (Accessed: July 27, 2020).
Comments and notes
Additional insights
2020 review:
Funding: The city of Marseille (specifically the Environment and Nature in the city Department) is the initiator of this intervention and some subsidy from this department is expected through this involvement, but no information about specific financial contribution was found.

There is a phone application not specifically for the intervention but in general in France for mapping the parks, or vegetated streets in order for visitors or residents to enjoy a walk or jogging in recommended green streets of the city (Ref. 6). The website for the mobile app no longer appears to be functional. It is described here (June 27, 2020):
https://www.natural-solutions.eu/blog/rue-vegetalises-lapplication-de-natural-solutions-primee

It is unclear whether these initiatives have increased the presence of urban vegetation or been successful in better regulating vegetation. Ref. 8 suggests that the process was simplified after an initially lukewarm public reception but that issues remain: "The city has even added a “pavement greening” category to its “Marseille in bloom” competition. Problem: you must have the visa to participate. And to obtain it, you must have civil liability insurance, which is complicated for groups without a legal structure. This is the case for a group of residents of Boulevard National" (Ref. 8).
Public Images
Children walk along a street with balloons and greenery
https://madeinmarseille.net/8188-charte-vegetalisation-rue-marseille/
Person planting plants in garden boxes in front of graffitied wall
https://madeinmarseille.net/54205-le-visa-vert-votre-passeport-pour-vegetaliser-les-rues-de-marseille/
Plants along stairway of narrow alley
https://madeinmarseille.net/54205-le-visa-vert-votre-passeport-pour-vegetaliser-les-rues-de-marseille/
Please specify other source of non-financial contribution
association: "Passeurs de Jardins" of Marseille (Ref 4)