Making Cities and Communities More Resilient
Supported by our technical expertise, capacity for innovation, and in-depth knowledge of realities on the ground, we propose development projects that contribute to the quality of urban life and the environmental transition.
Concrete Solutions to Make Communities More Climate Resilient
Climate change is no longer some distant future possibility: it’s a reality now, everywhere. It’s causing heatwaves, extreme rainfall, biodiversity erosion, pressure on infrastructure, and more. To confront these lasting changes, Colas works hand-in-hand with local authorities and developers to implement adaptation and climate resilience solutions.
Reducing the Impact of Urban Heat Islands
We take action to combat the physical factors that increase temperatures in cities and towns:
- Permeable and vegetated surfacing solutions (Vegecol, Urbalith) to promote evapotranspiration and improve thermal comfort.
- Managed albedo surfacing solutions (Colclair, Vegecol, Albetop ranges) to reflect sunlight and reduce the amount of heat stored by surfaces.
- Shading solutions (furniture, plants, passive structures).
Result: a reduction in ground temperature of up to 10°C depending on the configurations.
Managing Rainwater in a Sustainable Way
As storms intensify and urban runoff increases, alternative rainwater management solutions are becoming essential:
- Reservoir pavements, infiltration channels, rainwater harvesting systems adapted to local constraints.
- Dedicated solutions such as Raincol to promote in-situ infiltration and prevent flooding.
Our solutions are compatible with French urban “blue infrastructure” aquatic environment preservation policy and help replenish groundwater, while reducing the load on wastewater systems.
Promoting Nature in the Urban Environment Through Ecological Engineering
We develop functional greening solutions to:
- Improve the ecological resilience of public spaces.
- Promote rewilding with species adapted to the local climate.
- Integrate fertile soils (technosols) capable of sustainably supporting plant growth.
Our vegetated slab and paving systems, combined with a sustainable greening strategy, make it possible to reconcile urban environments with biodiversity.
StreetADAPT: Colas’ Approach Dedicated to Urban Climate Adaptation
StreetADAPT is Colas' solution to help communities anticipate, design, and implement urban infrastructure that is resilient to climate-related events.
This customized approach combines strategic guidance, expertise, targeted products, microclimate modeling, and impact measurement.
Four Technical Levers for Adapting the Public Space
- Ground and surfacing solutions: permeable, light-colored, with a reduced carbon footprint (Vegecol, Urbalith, Colclair)
- Water: infiltration, storage, recycling (Raincol, reservoir pavements)
- Vegetal: planting, vegetated paving, technosols
- Shading: passive solutions (furniture, shades, etc.), vegetation (trees, bushes, etc.)
Integrated Decision-Making Tools
- In-situ performance measurement (temperature, permeability, comfort) and monitoring
- Upstream microclimate modeling (heat island simulation, thermal scenarios)
- Map visualization of priority areas and levers for action
StreetADAPT is a customized approach for the implementation of effective solutions adapted to each local problem.
Building Resilient Towns and Cities is Now Possible
Tried and tested solutions exist and are available. At Colas, we opt for transparency, measurement, and concrete action to support the transformation of communities.
We share our expertise with communities to help design public spaces that are better able to adapt to unexpected event.
Are you seeking practical solutions to prepare your city for future climate challenges?
Contact our teams to deploy low-carbon solutions adapted to the specific needs of your area.
