Marseille, Marseille (FUA), France
City population: 1850000
Duration: 2017 – 2020
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: 600 m2
Type of area: Previous derelict area
Last updated: October 2021

After being abandoned for more than 10 years following the collapse of a building, a piece of land inside the city's "Le Panier" district was approved by the city in 2017 to become a "neighborhood garden" combining green space and a community vegetable garden (Ref. 1). After many delays the project was completed in early 2020 and the garden opened on February 28, 2020 (Ref. 11). The district "Le Panier" (where this intervention occurs) attracts many tourists every year for the charm of its narrow streets and colorful facades (Ref. 1).

A derelict square surrounded by buildings
https://madeinmarseille.net/44956-jardin-refuge-panier/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Allotments
  • Community gardens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Conversion of former industrial areas
  • Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
  • Inclusive governance
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Preservation of historic traditions
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable consumption
  • Sustainable production

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

This is the oldest district of Marseille, and this abandoned area was visually unappealing according to Ref. 1 Goals included: - To allow the inhabitants of the district to realize one of their wish to have a community garden and a green space which were missing in this historical area (Ref. 1 and 2) - To benefit the children of schools, by its pedagogical and educational value (Ref. 4) - To encourage participatory citizenship through consultation of the residents (Ref. 4) - To revive the abandoned area to create a place of sharing (Ref. 1, 2, 3 and 4)

Implementation activities

-"To create a part in the form of a park with benches, adjacent to the Place du Refuge, and another in a community garden where edibles will be grown." (Ref. 1) -"The garden will be managed by an association with the signing of a charter" -"Preventive excavations have been carried out by the City's Archeology Department" -"other studies are scheduled to see how far this garden can be made. The dangerousness for these archaeological vestiges from water infiltration due to watering is assessed "(Ref. 3) -"The president of the neighborhood committee, Patou Rahal imagines solutions to ensure the daily budget of this shared place. "We could grow flowers of the 4 seasons and create a market on the square to sell them. We could also auction the graffitis that surround the hole "(Ref. 3) -"On the program: remove the tagged metal parts that currently delimit the space by another layout, to level, create plots etc ..." (Ref. 4)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality
  • Citizens or community group

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
  • Co-management/Joint management
  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)
  • Citizen monitoring and review

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

City of Marseille is financing the building project of both community garden and the green space with benches. The latter will be maintained by the city. "As for the management of the future community garden, it should be carried out by a neighborhood association. At this time, no structure has been officially designated. The elected official in charge of the green spaces evokes the social center "Baussenque" whose premises are adjacent to "Place du Refuge"" "The social center can provide technical and administrative support, but the management of the garden must be done with the inhabitants, schools" (Ref. 1 and 3) -The other part of the garden (for crops), neighbors would be in charge of the budget for maintaining it (Ref. 3). "One the mixed garden built, "the green space will be transferred to the local town hall in charge of maintenance." (Ref. 1) -Jérôme Mazas is the landscape architect of the "Atelier Horizon". -Researchers: "According to André Malrait, Deputy Mayor for Monuments and Historic Heritage, "other studies are scheduled to see how far this garden can be made. The dangerousness for these archeaological vestiges from water infiltration due to watering is assessed" (Ref. 3).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes ("Inscribed in a zone of protection of the urban and landscaped heritage, the area is closely followed by the architect of the buildings of France (ABF) which then requires the City to rebuild to respect the historical alignment of the street Baussenque.". "The hypothesis of a reconstruction on this plot is rejected (due to archeological vestiges)" (Ref. 3))

Financing

Total cost

€100,000 - €500,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of labour
  • Provision of other services
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
  • Citizens (e.g. volunteering)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)
  • Generation of income from NBS
  • Increased market share for green economies

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Safety
  • Increased perception of safety
  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Fair distribution of social, environmental and economic benefits of the NBS project
  • Improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Increased access to healthy/affordable food
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Promotion of cultural diversity
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Preserved spiritual and religious values
  • Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Other

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Agathe (2017). “Espace vert et potager partagé pour la place du Refuge au cœur du Panier”. Made in Marseille. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
2. Vaysse, Clémentine (2017, January). "La friche de la place du Refuge se fera jardin partagé". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
3. Martin, Marine (2017, April). "Place du Refuge, le terrain vague va vers un avenir moins flou". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
4. Marseille Info (2017, February). "Place du Refuge : le jardin mérite réflexion". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
5. Marseille Info (2017, Mai). "Le jardin partagé du Refuge : encore un peu embourbé". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
6. Ville de Marseille (2012). “Plan Climat Énergie Territorial Ville de Marseille”. Rapport 2012. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
7. Ville de Marseille (2014). “Charte de la Biodiversité Urbaine de Marseille”. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
8. Ville de Marseille (2020). "Le quartier du Panier dispose d'un nouveau jardin partagé". Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
9. La rédaction (2019). "Place du Refuge, un jardin partagé en chantier au coeur du Panier". Made in Marseille. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
10. Elziere, Loïs (2020). "Le jardin partagé de la place du Refuge ouvre enfin au coeur du Panier". Made in Marseille. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
11. Les Jardiniers du Panier (2020). Association facebook page. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
12. Available at: Source link (Accessed: July 28, 2020).
A terraced square surrounded by buildings
https://madeinmarseille.net/44956-jardin-refuge-panier/