Montpellier, France
City population: 417322
Duration: 2016 – 2019
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 130000 m2
Type of area: Previous derelict area, Other
Last updated: October 2021

Opened in 2019, the René-Dumont Park which runs adjacent to a railway is "a centerpiece of the urban composition of the Nouveau Saint-Roch neighborhood" in Montpellier. (Ref. 1 and 2). This north/south 1.2-1.3 ha vegetation corridor represents a major of the city's urban renewal plan and "allows a great articulation among existing habitats, infrastructures and a contemporary neighborhood" (Ref. 2). The large area is considered to be exceptional for dense urban centres (Ref. 2). "The Nouveau Saint-Roch district is an example of a social, generational and functional diversity" (Ref. 2).

Parc René Dumont
https://actu.fr/occitanie/montpellier_34172/montpellier-le-parc-rene-dumont-ouvrira-durant-lete_23419799.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Railroad bank and track greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Green corridors and green belts

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Noise reduction
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Real estate development
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Promotion of cultural diversity

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas

Project objectives

- Bringing nature inside the very city center thanks to this urban park (this park is included in the new district "Saint Roch" envisioned for 2020, a future urban renewal operation which will develop around the train station) (Ref. 3) - Noise reduction from the trains (Ref. 5) - Provide a urban breathing space for the city (Ref. 5) -“Work on René Dumont Park is much more advanced. The park, central point of the district, will have a double utility. Its retention basin will protect the sector from flooding while providing a nice water point in wet periods and a stone passage in dry periods” (Ref. 10). -“The park, a stone's throw from the city center and the train station, will also be a place of relaxation with arrangements that still need to be discussed with neighborhood councils. Philippe Saurel specifying that, " the idea is of course to make an area usable for children " (Ref. 10). -"the future green lung of the ZAC Nouveau Saint-Roch" (Ref. 10) -The slopes of the prairie will allow the capture of rainwater (Ref. 2)

Implementation activities

"250 trees that will be planted by the city in 2018" (Ref. 3) -Creation of a park of 1,2 hectares with mediterranean urban vegetation (Source: Twitter Ville de Montpellier, pictures uploaded) -Maintenance of biodiversity with installation of kestrels birdhouses and objective zero pesticides (Source: Twitter Ville de Montpellier, pictures uploaded) -"René Dumont Park will offer a new public and leisure space of great quality to the inhabitants of downtown and Montpellier. Playgrounds will be available for children, enhancing the attractiveness of the city center." (Ref. 2) -"The digging of the prairie in the form of a valley makes it possible to obtain an east / west orientation of the slopes and to facilitate the recuperation of the rainwater." (Ref. 2) -“This Wednesday, 200 of the 440 trees were planted, the others will follow in the fall, which will inhabit the park: pines, holm and white oaks, maple trees, olive trees, almond trees, arbutus, gingko biloba… a whole range of Mediterranean species” (Ref. 10).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Create new habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Other

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore valued species
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: People with functional diversities
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

-Client: The local public corporation "Equipment Company of the Montpellier Region" (SERM) for the City of Montpellier. (Ref. 5) "Through the New Saint-Roch project, the City of Montpellier is realizing a major part of its urban renewal strategy" (Ref. 2) -The architect: "Michel Desvigne" in partnership with "Technivert" consultant and "EGIS" group of engineering. (Ref. 5) "This development project has been labeled "EcoCité" by the French Ministry of Ecology, Development Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing." (Ref. 2)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes ("In 2011, the City adopted a sustainable urban development framework, coordinated with all municipal services and urban planning practitioners in Montpellier, known as AURA"(Ref. 8))

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

No

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Promotion of cultural diversity

Type of reported 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. Mayet, Frédérick (2015). "Montpellier : questions autour de la zac Nouveau Saint-Roch". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
2. Comparimmoneuf (n.d). Nouveau St Roch Montpellier. "Le parc paysager René Dumont". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
3. Source link (2016). Actualités. "La Ville retient le projet de l'atelier d'architecture Brenac & Gonzalez pour le quartier nouveau St Roch". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
4. Source link (n.d). "Les nouveaux quartiers durables". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
5. Michel Desvigne Paysagiste (n.d). Nouveau Saint Roch. Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
6. Marie Lang Architecte (n.d). ZAC Nouveau Saint Roch. Source link (Website not available in 2020).
7. Anon. (n.d). Ecocité. Source link. Source link (Website not available in 2020).
8. Source link (n.d) "Référentiel en urbanisme durable AURA". Available at: Source link (please download the guide Aura for more information about the programme) (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
9. (Website not available in 2020).
10. Nithard, Cédric (2019). "Montpellier : le parc René Dumont ouvrira durant l’été". Actu France. Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).
11. Tramway de Montpellier (2019). "Futur parc René-Dumont à Montpellier, plusieurs arbres victimes de la canicule qui s’est abattue sur la ville le vendredi 28 juin 2019 après-midi". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 1, 2020).