Exploring co-creation in municipal planning practice: a Seedbed Intervention for NbS in Versailles

Local Environment, pp. 1–24

Abstract

This paper examines how collaborative experimental approaches can strengthen urban resilience by actively involving communities in the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) within the framework of local governance. Using Versailles as a case study, it examines how a co-creative initiative supported the development of an NbS intervention aimed at fostering social cohesion and community ownership. This process was shaped by the Seedbed Intervention format – a context-sensitive experimental approach – designed to create conducive conditions for the implementation of NbS. While the Seedbed Intervention format itself is not the central focus of this study, we explore its function as a strategic mechanism for embedding participatory urban interventions into governance structures. Grounded in the principles of Gender, Inclusion, and Diversity (GID), this research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating art-based methodologies and Focus Group Discussions to critically examine the interplay between social and environmental challenges in urban contexts. Findings underscore the need to institutionalise experimental co-creative processes as an integral component of urban planning rather than as ad hoc or project-specific participatory exercises. When systematically embedded within governance frameworks, such approaches can enhance the durability, scalability, and institutional integration of participatory NbS, supporting their long-term impact across planning systems and policy cycles.

Authors 8

1. Julia Gäckle corresponding Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

2. Jannis Meul Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

3. Mariia Chebotareva

   University of Tartu

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Tartu

4. Bianka Plüschke-Altof

   Tallinn University · University of Tartu

   Affiliation as printed

   Tallinn University

   University of Tartu

5. Ilkka Väänänen

   LAB University of Applied Sciences

   Affiliation as printed

   LAB University of Applied Sciences

6. Shreya Utkarsh
   Affiliation as printed

   ICLEI European Secretariat

7. Daniela Baganz Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

8. Axel Timpe Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University