1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Nancy
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Le Sentier Numérique de l'Arbre
Short description of the intervention
A digital tree path was launched in Nancy in 2011. This is a path linking 24 trees equipped with QR codes (Quick Response Codes) throughout the city in order to discover them and their richness by scanning the code with a smartphone (Ref. 2). Information on the trees is also available online through the city's website as well as an Instagram account (Ref. 6).
Address

24 trees around the city
54000 Nancy
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
Public Greenspace Area
Website of the intervention
http://www.nancy.fr/documents/smartphone/diversite_arbres/00.html
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2010
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
unknown
End date of the intervention
2011
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
According to the documents, no additional tree are being planned to be added to this digital path so far. But the digital path is still available on smartphones around the city.
Goals of the intervention
Educational purposes and to honor trees heritage of the city (Nancy as a policy to preserve the trees of the city, Ref. 3)
"Discover the secrets of 24 trees in the city"(Ref. 2)
Quantitative targets
24 trees with Qr-codes (Quick Response Codes) (Ref. 2)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of trees with QR codes in the city (Ref 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental education
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Implementation activities
Smartphone application with Qr-codes system to get information on the trees with a map creation (Ref. 4)
"By scanning the symbol on the tree, the user is connected to the internet where the botanical characteristics, the history and the medicinal properties of the tree are displayed. A sound version of this information is also available. At each point, a manual explains how to use the system and download the necessary program for free. An unprecedented geolocation guidance also helps the route" (Ref. 6).
As of August 6, 2020, Ref. 6 now directs users to an instagram account which allows citizens to "discover the remarkable trees that inhabit the city". Available at: https://www.instagram.com/arbresremarquables/ (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
Type of NBS project
Knowledge creation and awareness raising
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
24 (Ref 2)
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
associated technology: path linking 24 trees equipped with QR codes (Quick Response Codes) throughout the city in order to discover them and their richness by scanning the code with a smartphone (Ref. 2).
Amenities offered by the NBS
Educational or biodiversity trails
Other
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Recreation
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Physical and experiential interactions with plants and animals
Other
Please specify "other cultural service"
Educational purposes (Ref. 3) "Discover the secrets of 24 trees in the city"(Ref. 2)
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Please specify other local relevant strategy
tree specific green policy: Tree Heritage Preservation Policy (Ref. 3, page 35).
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
This innovation has been developed at the city council (from the Department Gardens and Parks), in the continuation of the exhibition "The diversity of trees of Nancy" at the House of Nature in 2010 (Ref. 6); "Developed at the city hall, this innovation is the continuation of the exhibition "The diversity of trees of Nancy" at the Maison de la Nature in 2010" (Ref. 6).
"This new means of access to information, which mainly targets the public of young adults, is in full development and is also of interest to the Office of Tourism for other applications concerning cultural and historical heritage" (Ref. 6, year 2011).
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Public sector institution
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Public space owned by the city
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Citizen science
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
No
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"
Tree Heritage Preservation Policy (Ref. 3)
"Developed at the city hall, this innovation is the continuation of the exhibition "The diversity of trees of Nancy" at the Maison de la Nature in 2010" (Ref. 6)
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
"Developed at the city hall, this innovation is the continuation of the exhibition "The diversity of trees of Nancy" at the Maison de la Nature in 2010" (Ref. 6).
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
Tree Heritage Preservation Policy (Ref. 3, page 35).
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
City specific green space strategy or plan
Other
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
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
Public local authority budget
Type of fund(s) used
Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
No
Business models
Green education model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Type of innovation
Technological
Process innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify technological innovation
Using Qr-codes technology with smartphones to get information on the tree Ref. 1).
Please specify social innovation
New technology allowing access to information and educate younger demographics (Ref. 6).
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
Nancy is the second "Vegetal Hacker" city in France which "are at the forefront of innovation: they introduce the digital in parks and gardens and launch pilot experiments: drones, connected objects ..." (Ref. 1).
"The city of Nancy was ranked first green city 2.0 by the Observatory of the green cities" (Ref.2)
"this innovation is the continuation of the exhibition "The diversity of trees of Nancy" at the Maison de la Nature in 2010" (Ref. 6)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
"This new means of access to information, which mainly targets the public of young adults, is in full development and is also of interest to the Office of Tourism for other applications concerning cultural and historical heritage" (Ref. 6, year 2011).
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Unknown
Description of environmental benefits
Unknown
Economic impacts
More sustainable tourism
Description of economic benefits
"This new means of access to information, which mainly targets the public of young adults, is in full development and is also of interest to the Office of Tourism for other applications concerning cultural and historical heritage" (Ref. 6, year 2011).
Social and cultural impacts
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Protection of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
Education
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Description of social and cultural benefits
Health and wellbeing
-Gain in activities for recreation and exercise: extensive educational walking route throughout the city is shown in Ref. 5.

Cultural heritage and sense of place
-Protection of natural heritage: this initiative highlights the importance of these and other trees, contributing to the protection of natural heritage (Ref. 6).
-Improvement in people’s connection to nature/Increased appreciation for natural spaces/Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging/Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful: each tree has a small write-up about the history of the species along with other facts and the following information: type, family, genus, species, variety, maximum size (Ref. 6). "It's the story of a tree. Everything a tree can convey like real stories, myths and symbols" (Ref. 4).
-"This new means of access to information, which mainly targets the public of young adults, is in full development and is also of interest to the Office of Tourism for other applications concerning cultural and historical heritage" (Ref. 6, year 2011).


Education
-Increased knowledge of locals about local nature: Each tree has the following information: type, family, genus, species, variety, maximum size (Ref. 6).
-Discovering the tree heritage of the city and its species diversity (Ref. 6)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Discovering the tree heritage of the city and its species diversity (Ref. 6)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
No specific information available as of August 6, 2020. Educational trail may have seen less use 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
Link to the output of assessments
http://www.nancy.fr/documents/smartphone/diversite_arbres/00.html
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
Yes
Link to GIS monitoring data
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=48.689316999999996%2C6.166162000000…
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Yes
Mode(s) of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Other
Please specify other modes of citizen involvement in evaluation/assessment
Possibility to send a message through the phone's application in case somebody would like to send feedbacks (Ref. 3).
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
List of references
1. Observatoires des villes vertes (n.d). "VILLES VERTES ET JARDINS 2.0". Infographie. Available at: http://www.observatoirevillesvertes.fr/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/infographie_Observatoire_jardins2.0.pdf (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
2. Definancy (2016). "Nancy : n°1 des villes vertes 2.0". defigrandesecoles. Lexpress.fr. Available at: https://defigrandesecoles.lexpress.fr/nancy/2016/02/17/nancy-n1-des-villes-vertes-2-0/ (Website not available in 2020).
3. Ville de Nancy (n.d). "La Charte de l'Arbre". online brochure. Available at: https://en.calameo.com/read/00139016124d4eb47853a (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
4. Nancy (n.d). Smartphone main page "Sentier de l'Arbre". Available at: https://www.nancy.fr/documents/smartphone/diversite_arbres/00.html (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
5. Google map (n.d). "Sentier Numérique de l'Arbre". Available at: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?ll=48.689316999999996%2C6.166162000000002&spn=0.023571%2C0.07699&hl=fr&t=h&msa=0&z=14&ie=UTF8&mid=1m0m7VisuEF1Xv37jbJbIpAM4eHc (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
6. NancyMag (2011). Nature: "Sur le sentier (numérique) de l’arbre". Available at: https://www.nancy.fr/utile/nancy-la-ville-qui-cultive-la-vie/sentier-numerique-de-l-arbre-2688.html (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
Comments and notes
Additional insights
2020 comment:
As of August 6, 2020, Ref. 6 now directs users to an instagram account which allows citizens to "discover the remarkable trees that inhabit the city". Available at: https://www.instagram.com/arbresremarquables/ (Accessed: August 6, 2020).
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/111178815.jpg
Public Images
A person standing on a path surrounded by trees on both sides
https://www.nancy.fr/utile/nancy-la-ville-qui-cultive-la-vie/sentier-numerique-de-l-arbre-2688.html