Podcast episode: Sponge city in action lets Nantes’ healthy soils do the work
In Nantes Metropolis (France), shaped by the Loire River and frequent rainfall, flood resilience starts beneath our feet. The city is rethinking water management and flood prevention by tapping into the natural power of soil.
The “sponge city” approach is at the heart of how Nantes is rethinking urban water management. Healthy soils absorb, store, and filter water, easing pressure on drainage systems while restoring local water cycles, and improving biodiversity.
A simple but striking example is desealing. By removing asphalt from large parking areas and exposing living soil, the city reactivates its natural sponge capacity, turning previously impermeable surfaces into assets for flood resilience. This nature-based strategy shows how small changes can have a big impact on citywide water management.
Through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building with the SPADES project, pilot city Nantes demonstrates the added value of European cooperation in strengthening links between cities and supporting the integration of soil functions into urban planning. As Clément Le Bras-Thomas, a Director of Territorial Strategy, explains, “It will help us share expertise on very complex issues and be inspired by what others are doing across Europe.” Nantes embeds the restoration of soils with the ambition of no net land take and desealing soils.
Discover how Nantes puts healthy soils to work for the city.
Listen to our podcast episode How Nantes is planting a sustainable future in its Soil to hear practical insights on integrating soil in spatial planning and the concept of a sponge city.
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