Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France
City population: 484661
Duration: 2017 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level, Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 280000 m2
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

An old hippodrome will be transformed into a natural urban park. "The Metropole of Rouen has launched this reconversion project of in consultation with residents and associations. It is the Mutabilis group that has been chosen to carry out this transformation, the first work of which will begin in 2017. The project, called "Champ Libre", integrates all the components essential to urban life: a place of discovery, nature and innovative agriculture" (Ref. 6).

An aerial image showing the plans for a future park in a former racecourse
https://www.tendanceouest.com/actualite-129921-agglo-de-rouen-voila-le-visage-du-nouveau-parc-des-bruyeres.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Community gardens and allotments
  • Horticulture
  • Other
  • Green areas for water management
  • Swales and filter strips

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: agriculture
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable consumption
  • Sustainable production

Focus

Transformation of previously derelict areas, Other

Project objectives

-Preserve a green lung for the city (Ref. 5, page 3) -Convert the site into an urban natural park (Ref. 5, page 3) -A farm to raise awareness (Ref. 3) -Recreational purposes: "space designed to picnic, play ball, host animations"

Implementation activities

-"It took ten years of reflection, a year of consultation and a call for candidatures to finally take shape the face of the future Parc des Bruyères" (Ref. 2) -There would be a 25 000 square meters lawn, and the "edible forest" which is an ecological reserve where we can observe the fauna and flora, a permaculture farm (managed by the urban farming association"Le Champ des possibles") and a pre-orchard will be laid out. (Ref. 2 and 3) -Two play areas, one of which will consist of plant structures (Ref. 2) -"space accessible to the public with a garden-school and vegetable garden " (Ref. 3) -"On the one hand, the association will sell its fruits and vegetables that it will produce on site. This is the economic side of the project. On the other hand, it will enable school children, but also the general public, to attend training workshops, "for example in composting"" (Ref. 3) -Swales harvest runoff from the park allowing the development of specific vegetation" (Ref. 5, page 10) -"If the project respects the historical past of the site, taking into account what exists, it integrates all the components essential to urban life: place of discovery, recreation, nature and innovative agriculture, by building them in the heart of neighborhoods" (Ref. 4).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality
  • District/neighbourhood association

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Co-management/Joint management
  • Citizen monitoring and review

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

-"The Rouen Normandy Metropolis is piloting this project, accompanied by the winning team of the landscaping competition. This is made up of: Mutabilis (landscape and town planning); Atelier Philippe Madec (Achitecture); Bérim (Engineering); OGE (Ecology); Workshop 59 (Signage)" (Ref. 11) -Property of the Metropole of Rouen and the group "Mutabilis" has been chosen to design and develop this park (Ref. 1) - The permaculture farm will be managed by the urban farming association"Le Champ des possibles" (Ref. 3) -"This project, carried out by the Metropole Rouen Normandie, was conceived after a consultation with the inhabitants." (Ref. 4) -Citizens were heavily consulted and involved in the development of the park. An online game was launched where citizens could design their ideal use of the space (Ref. 1).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public regional budget
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • Increase in agricultural production (for profit or not)

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • 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
  • Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure
  • Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Other

Type of reported impacts

Expected 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. Devôge, Lucien (2014). "805 habitants ont imaginé leur parc des Bruyères rêvé". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
2. Devôge, Lucien (2016). "Agglo de Rouen : voilà le visage du nouveau Parc des Bruyères". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
3. Devôge, Lucien (2016). "Près de Rouen, une ferme permacole dans l'ancien hippodrome des Bruyères". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
4. Ville de Rouen (2016). "Présentation parc "Champ libre". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
5. Métropole Rouen Normandie (2016). "DOSSIER DE PRESSE: PARC NATUREL URBAIN". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
6. Métropole Rouen Normandie (2016). "Champ Libre se dévoile". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
7. Ville de Rouen (2015). " Agenda 21 Local de la ville de Rouen". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
8. Métropole Rouen Normandie (2017). "Aménagement du parc du Champ Libre". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
9. Tremblay, Amaury (2018). "Rouen. Près de Rouen, les travaux débutent pour le parc du Champ des Bruyères". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
10. Métropole Rouen Normandie (2017). "Reconversion des terrains de l'ancien champ de courses des Bruyeres". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
11. Métropole Rouen Normandie (2017). "Le projet se construit". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).
12. Massin, Fabien (2016). "Le nouveau visage de l’hippodrome des Bruyères, à Rouen. Les images". Available at: Source link (Accessed: August 24, 2020).