How can we rethink the future of Mediterranean cities in an increasingly warmer world?
Marseille has chosen to face the climate challenge with a structured, inclusive, and strongly participatory approach. As part of the European project Cool Noons, the city has launched an innovative process that puts the community and the synergy between institutions, citizens, and associations at its core.
The first step was internal: with over 17,000 municipal employees, Marseille had to map existing skills, identify key stakeholders, and establish a dual governance system with a Technical Committee and a Strategic Committee in charge of leading the project’s operational and decision-making phases.
Between September and October 2024, three participatory workshops were held, involving NGOs, associations, citizens, and urban professionals. In a step-by-step process, participants first shared knowledge about local climate change impacts, then explored the city on foot to identify heat-exposed areas. In the final session, the proposed solutions were selected and refined: shaded routes, new green spaces, public fountains, and urban signage to highlight cool spots and water access. Behavioral solutions also emerged, such as temporarily closing streets to traffic to reduce asphalt and promote natural cooling.
Marseille also created links with other local programs, such as the participatory budget, and involved shop owners in maintaining urban greenery. In this way, the Cool Noons project becomes a driver of transformation, embedded in a broader vision of climate and social justice. It’s not only about mitigation, but also education, interdepartmental dialogue, and long-term strategies.
This is a project in motion — constantly evolving, growing with ideas, with people, and with the challenges of our time.
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