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

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.