At a glance 2 min

Urban Canopee: cooling down the city by greening up

The start-up Urban Canopee has set itself the challenge of greening cities to cool the air and limit the urban heat island effect. To do this, it has developed an innovative, modular and autonomous urban furniture system incorporating climbing plants, called "Corolle".
Urban Canopee: cooling down the city by greening up
Urban Canopee: cooling down the city by greening up

Combating the effects of climate change in urban areas

Intended to be placed where trees cannot be planted because of urban infrastructures (underground complexes, car parks, etc.), it is made up of a 5-metre-high composite material structure which is very light, flexible and modular, as mechanically resistant as steel while being more durable and corrosion-proof. This mesh will support climbing plants, jasmines, clematis, Virginia creepers, and others, chosen for their vigour and the spread of their flowering. This urban canopy will form a cover, which through shading and evapotranspiration will help to maintain coolness as well as capture and store CO2.

With a minimum footprint of 1m², it not only allows vegetation to be extended up to 5m in height but also reduces global warming and air pollution. According to Élodie Grimoin, co-founder of the start-up, "by greening a quarter of a city, we can reduce its temperature by 2 to 4 degrees. Plants are the best natural climate control system there is".

An irrigation system that saves water and electricity

The pot of each "corolle" contains a water tank and an intelligent, autonomous irrigation system powered by solar energy thanks to a photovoltaic panel. Thus, there is no need for an external supply of water or electricity: the vegetation is controlled remotely, using connected humidity sensors that will enable the most precise possible management of watering.
With no need for connections to the water or electricity networks, it can be installed very quickly, without impacting on underground networks, and can be easily moved.

Making cities more breathable and resilient to improve quality of life for city dwellers and the planet.

By helping to improve the resilience of cities, through the protection of urban biodiversity and the reduction of air pollution, Urban Canopee's "corolles" have demonstrated their added value to a better quality of life in cities. A hundred or so structures have been installed in several major French cities, including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux and Nantes, as well as in Spain, Morocco, the Gulf States and recently in Australia.

And Urban Canopee does not intend to stop there. The start-up is working on the next step: using the same technology, it is designing new models intended to cover roofs and facades.

More information:
https://urbancanopee.com

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