Case study of
#00006 Expand and target urban tree canopy on the hottest, lowest-canopy streets
Paris, France
#00056
Implementer
Ville de Paris
Timeline
Since Jan 1, 2018
Location
Description
Begun in 2018 as part of Paris's Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy, "Les Cours Oasis" depaves asphalt schoolyards and replaces them with trees, permeable ground, shade and water features, then opens them as neighbourhood cool islands during heatwaves. Inner Paris has only 5.8 m² of green space per capita, while schoolyards total 73 hectares of impervious surface; most Parisians live within 200 m of a school. Ten pilot yards were co-designed with pupils using EU Urban Innovative Actions (ERDF) funding. The city targets conversion of all ~760 public schools into a network of climate shelters by 2040, with yards also functioning as stormwater infiltration and social-cohesion spaces.
Metrics
4Funding
Lessons learned
- Reusing land the city already owns (schoolyards) sidesteps the land-scarcity barrier that blocks new urban parks.
- Bundling heat adaptation with stormwater management and an education/social mission widened the funding coalition (EU Urban Innovative Actions/ERDF) and local buy-in.
- Impact is local and incremental — each yard cools its immediate surroundings; the strategy depends on network coverage across all schools by 2040.
Sources
3Documented Jun 9, 2026