The University of Aix-Marseille (AMU) hosted a training day on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) on Thursday 2 April, framed within the activities of CARDIMED DEMO 5 in Marseille, France.
The event was organised by the CNFPT (National Training Centre for Public Authorities), a decentralised public body supporting local authorities and their staff through training and employment initiatives linked to public service delivery.
Open to all, the session was primarily aimed at technical staff from local authorities, with the objective of raising awareness on the role and practical application of NbS.
Partners from SEMIDE, AMU and Région Sud actively contributed to the design and delivery of the training, both as organisers and speakers.
More than 30 participants attended, representing 12 local authorities from the southern region of France.
The day began with a welcome from Véronique Masotti (IMBE-AMU) and Florence Bourcet (CNFPT), who introduced the programme. The morning sessions featured a general overview of NbS and regional strategies, presented by Elrik Du Saillant (SEMIDE) and Marie-Caroline Vallon (Région Sud). The CARDIMED project and its demonstration site in Marseille were also introduced, providing participants with the broader context of the initiative.
This was followed by a presentation from Nicolas Wepierre (ARBE), who shared insights into existing NbS techniques in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Sandrine Lefevre (Reliefs Paysage) then highlighted the role of landscape architects in the planning and implementation of NbS projects. Andrea Fernandez, Project Manager at the Municipality of Le Cannet des Maures, concluded the morning by presenting results from urban cooling initiatives based on NbS.
In the afternoon, a round-table discussion titled “Local authorities, don’t be afraid of research!” was moderated by Marie-Caroline Vallon (Région Sud). The session aimed to strengthen collaboration between research institutions and local authorities. Contributions were made by researchers from AMU, including Thomas Fasquelle (IUSTI), Catherine Keller (CEREGE), and Isabelle Laffont-Schwob (LPED), alongside Jean-Christophe Roditis and Sylvain Crespel from Aix-Marseille Metropole.
The day concluded with a guided visit to the CARDIMED DEMO 5 site in Marseille, where participants explored the implemented unsealing and greening interventions. Researchers also presented ongoing monitoring activities and the scientific hypotheses being tested on site.
