Strasbourg, France
City population: 468195
Duration: 2012 – 2012
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 2600 m2
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

The idea of ​​the project Redevelopment Of Place d'Austerlitz was to create an autonomous ecosystem, including plants and animals, with wild grasses and native trees that attract insects, mammals and birds (Ref. 4). The restructuring involved a whole mixture of paths, fauna, flora and riverside, all within a framework promoting urban ecology and biodiversity (Ref. 5). The project was conceived as "an archipelago of nature in the city" (Ref. 10, 12).

A square with trees and benches
https://www.rue89strasbourg.com/dizaine-places-renovation-stasbourg-52616

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • 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)
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

The use a framework of promoting urban ecology and biodiversity by restructuring a mixture of paths, fauna, flora and riverside features with the project. The ambition of this project is to allow nature to return to the city while allowing users to keep all their habits in a more pleasant and green environment. The project was designed to become a nature archipelago in the city and integrated into its surrounding environent (including a shared garden and a nearby meeting place). (5)

Implementation activities

The decision was taken in 2008 to restructure the site. The strategic objectives of regeneration project derived from the consultation process were to create a new and inclusive central space in the city for the community (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists and motorists). Local associations involved in different orientations worked in connection with the project Master from October 2008 to January 2009 before the City of Strasbourg presented a plans based on inhabitants' remarks; as part of a "jury" locals, developers and officials decided between project ideas based on criteria including Environmental Quality in May 2010, (Ref. 1) picking Digitale Landscape (Ref. 3). The layout, designed by landscaper Agnès Daval and ended in June 2012 (Ref. 14). The site was inaugurated on October 28th 2012 (Ref. 11). "10,000 m2 of public space, from facade to facade • 2,600 m2 of plantations • 6,000 bulbs • 46 trees, 13,160 herbaceous plants, 5,810 shrubs (including a majority of native plants) Department of Local Democracy and Proximity - 2015 The approach was the reverse of most projects: consultation helped define the objectives from which the project was developed. Generally, consultation takes place once that the objectives have been set" (Ref. 1).

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
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Public engagement

Biodiversity restoration:

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

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

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

The initiator of the project was Strasbourg Eurometropole. The City of Strasbourg worked closely in consultation with the community's local residents, neighbourhood council and its associations (such as the Association of Inhabitants Bourse-Austerlitz-Krutenau) (Ref. 7) in establishing the objectives of the intervention, as well as its planning, management, monitoring, and playing a key role in judging over the contracted developer (Ref. 1). The entrusted landscape developer of the project was Digitale Landscape (Ref. 8, 10).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The project is included as part of the citywide Urban Natural Park plan from Strasbourg Eurometropole to renew the links between nature and the city since 2010 (Ref. 2, 4).)

Financing

Total cost

€500,000 - €2,000,000

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

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Safety
  • Increased perception of safety
  • 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
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

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) Scheek, Luc. Gigleux, Céline. Loeffler, Elke. and Terrien, Olivier. [no date]. La place d’Austerlitz, une concertation innovante pour un projet symbole de la ville durable. (Document attached).
(2) Strasbourg Metropole. [no date]. UN PARC NATUREL URBAIN POUR STRASBOURG. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(3) Digitale Paysage. (2012). Aménagement de la place d’Austerlitz à Strasbourg. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(4) Bross, Alexis. (2013). Ratés et succès d’une dizaine de rénovations de places à Strasbourg. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(5) Lollier ingeniere. [no date]. Ancienne gare routière des cars de tourisme de Strasbourg, la place d'Austerlitz attendait son réaménagement. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(6) Ville-Sante. [no date]. STRASBOURG – L’aménagement des places et espaces verts: LA PLACE D’AUSTERLITZ, UN NOUVEAU CŒUR DE QUARTIER. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(7) AHBAK. [no date]. Archives pour la catégorie Place d’Austerlitz. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(8) Thierry Muller. (2012). Place d'Austerlitz, Strasbourg, 2012. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(9) Strasbourg Metropole. [no date]. LES ESPACES PUBLICS EXTÉRIEURS DE LA PRESQU'ÎLE MALRAUX. Available at:Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(10) PSS. (2010). Strasbourg - Aménagement et gestion des espaces publics. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(11) Petit patrimoine. [no date]. Le Point de Convergence à Strasbourg (67). Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(12) Ministère de l’Écologie. (2015). Archipel de biodiversité, la place (d'Austerlitz Strasbourg) de la nature en ville. Available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
(13) IDRRM. [no date]. Un lieu d'échanges et de convergence. Available at: Source link (Accessed: September 25, 2020).
(14) Communication au Conseil Municipal. (11) [no author]. (2012). Visite n° 1 : MICRO-JARDINS ET FLEURISSEMENT CITOYEN Visites au centre-ville de jardins et d’espaces verts dans lesquels les habitants s’impliquent. (Document attached).
(15) Goetz, Source link. StammTisch du 27 novembre 2008: Petit Glacier, 20h/22h30. (Document attached).