Urban Nature Program: Super‑Proximity in Practice, Delivering Urban Nature at Neighborhood Scale
As the first city to host the Urban Nature Network, the City of Paris is sharing its experience, strategies, and lessons learned in advancing urban nature as a foundation for sustainable and resilient urban development. A Lighthouse City under the GEF-8 Sustainable Cities Integrated Program (SCIP), Paris has been a long-standing partner of the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (GPSC), contributing to global knowledge exchange on biodiversity, climate resilience, green infrastructure, and sustainable urban development. Through its participation in the Urban Nature Program and initiatives such as the Cities4Biodiversity (C4B) deep-dive learning series, Paris continues to support peer learning and collaboration among cities worldwide.
Over the coming months, Paris will share a collection of plans, policies, case studies, and practical examples that illustrate how urban nature can be embedded into city planning, investment, mobility, public space, and neighborhood transformation. These resources highlight Paris’ integrated approach to climate adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, urban cooling, and quality of life, offering valuable insights for cities seeking to advance nature-positive and people-centered urban development. Explore the Paris City Profile and related Urban Nature Program resources to learn more about the city’s experience.
This webinar, Super-Proximity in Practice: Delivering Urban Nature at Neighbourhood Scale, will explore how Paris designs, delivers, and manages these interventions within a dense urban environment. Participants will learn how neighborhood-scale green infrastructure can simultaneously support urban cooling, water management, biodiversity, and social inclusion.
The session will also highlight the role of participatory processes in the co-design, implementation, and long-term stewardship of urban nature projects, offering practical insights and transferable lessons for cities seeking to replicate similar approaches.
Time | Item | Speaker |
14:30 | Opening remarks
| Xueman Wang, Program Manager for GPSC, World Bank |
14:32
| Paris and Barcelona: Super-Proximity in Practice – Delivering Urban Nature at the Neighborhood Scale. | François Moreau, Head of Urban Ecology Agency, City of Paris Marc Montlleó, Director of Environmental Projects, Barcelona Regional Adrián Cabezas Vegas, Environmental Specialist, Barcelona Regional |
15:00
| Interactive Discussion and Q&A with participants | Moderated by Céleste Rouberol, International Projects Manager, Urban Ecology Agency, City of Paris |
15:28
| Next steps and announcement of the next webinar | GPSC Team |
- Download the presentation: Proximity in Practice—Delivering Urban Nature at the Neighborhood Scale
- Download the webinar summary and key takeaways
- Urban Nature Program: Explore the GPSC Urban Nature Program and its work advancing nature-positive, resilient, and biodiverse urban development.
- Paris City Profile: Explore Paris' plans, policies, strategies, and practical examples on urban nature, climate resilience, and green infrastructure.
- Barcelona City Profile: Explore Barcelona's urban nature strategy, plans, and practical initiatives to expand green infrastructure and biodiversity across the city.
- Barcelona–Paris Study – Diversification of Tree Species Planted Along Roadsides: Information and Prospects in Barcelona and Paris: Download the joint study highlighting how both cities are diversifying urban tree species to strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity, and long-term urban forest management.
