In France, school playgrounds cover an estimated area of more than 130 km² in urban areas. With an average of 80 to 90% of their surface sealed, they become major heat traps as soon as summer temperatures rise above 30 °C. For children playing there in the sun, teachers, and nearby residents, these paved areas exacerbate the effects of heat waves.
In light of this, the concept of the “oasis courtyard” has emerged as a concrete and measurable solution. Developed primarily by the City of Paris beginning in 2017, it proposes to reinvent the schoolyard as a multifunctional space: providing coolness in the summer, promoting biodiversity, serving as a natural play area, and fostering environmental education.
An "oasis playground" is a school playground that has undergone a profound environmental transformation based on three main factors:
The goal is twofold: to lower the perceived temperature in the courtyard by 3 to 6 °C, depending on the configuration, and to create a space for urban biodiversity that is accessible to students.
Since 2017, Paris has been working to transform 800 school playgrounds as part of its Climate Plan. As a result, some playgrounds are up to 8°C cooler than traditional playgrounds during heat waves. The average budget per playground ranges from €150,000 to €500,000, depending on the size and the chosen design features.
The primary climate benefit of an oasis courtyard is the local reduction in temperature. Evapotranspiration from plants and shade cast by trees create a natural cooling effect that benefits not only courtyard users, but also adjacent buildings and nearby residents. This is known as spillover cooling.
Removing impervious surfaces and introducing vegetation helps attract pollinating insects, birds, and other beneficial wildlife to urban areas. These spaces become links in the urban green network, a central concept of the National Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
An impermeable surface directs 100% of stormwater into the drainage system. A green courtyard absorbs between 40% and 70%, reducing the risk of urban flooding and the cost of water treatment.
Oasis courtyards also serve as educational tools: community gardens, wildlife observation, and composting. Studies show a reduction in aggressive behavior and an improved quality of life at school.
The 2021 Climate and Resilience Act sets a target of Zero Net Land Take (ZAN) by 2050. In this context, the removal of impervious surfaces from school playgrounds is directly aligned with the land take reduction targets that local authorities must achieve in their urban planning documents (SRADDET, PLUi).
Oasis projects directly contribute to the objectives of the mandatory Regional Climate-Air-Energy Plans (PCAET) for intermunicipal communities with more than 20,000 residents: adapting to climate change, reducing heat island effects, and increasing urban tree cover.
Before any work begins, a detailed assessment is essential: level of paving, sun exposure, soil type, existing vegetation, and current uses. Today, tools for analyzing aerial imagery make it possible to conduct this assessment remotely, quickly, and across an entire courtyard complex.
Various scenarios can be simulated to compare their impacts in terms of temperature, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. This step is crucial for winning over elected officials and parents and for justifying budget trade-offs.
The most successful projects are those that involve children, teachers, and parents from the very beginning.
Once the work is complete, monitoring key indicators (temperature, biodiversity, user experience) helps highlight the project’s value in the local government’s ESG reports and provides data for grant applications.
Netcarbon is a SaaS tool for analyzing aerial imagery that enables local governments to conduct an instant assessment of the environmental condition of their schoolyards, simulate the impact of various greening scenarios, and generate detailed reports for grant applications and PCAET assessments.
The oasis courtyard is no longer an experimental concept: it is a proven solution that is financially accessible and compliant with local governments’ regulatory obligations regarding zero-waste areas, climate action plans, and climate adaptation.
Would you like to identify your schoolyards that need the most attention and see what kind of impact greening them would have? Request a free demo of Netcarbon.
