When the Seine-Saint-Denis county, located near Paris was created, there was only a few green spaces. 40 years later, parks and green spaces cover superficies around 1520 hectares, giving more than 11m² per habitant of recreation area.
Ten parks were created, sometimes starting from scratch, by famous landscape architectures in some cases such as Michel Courajoud and Alain Provost, on unused agricultural or industrial areas :
- L’Ile-Saint-Denis (23 h)
- Villetaneuse (12 h)
- La Courneuve (400 h)
- Le Sausset (200 h)
- Le bois de la Tussion (25 h)
- La Fosse Maussoin (8 h)
La Haute-Ile (65 h)
Jean Moulin Les Guilands (26 h)
Romainville (8 h)
La Bergère (23 h)
Creation and development of natural heritage
The first purpose was to increase the green spaces number, but quickly people realized that county parks could hide an important biodiversity, with rare species (king fisher…), encouraging the county elected representative to adapt their management methodologies (or procedures).
A concept of harmonious management was created after a long thought period associating county elected representative, scientific community and many different partners. It’s an innovating process for managing and maintaining green spaces which is concerned to obtain an equilibrium between human activities in the parks and ecosystem respect. This thought process is possible thank to the urban biodiversity department, used as a tool for the knowledge and the inventory of the living species.
This important work, taking into account the urban biodiversity, would be shortly recognized through the classifying of several county parks in Natura 2000, according to bird instruction.
A place with various activities (learning, sports, recreation)
Even if the parks have a large variety of activities (training pathways, child games, rest area…), many initiatives to educate and increase public awareness at the environmental problems are suggested to various public by community workers and the parks partners: such as workshops, “natural” activities, exhibition…
Other activities are proposed by our community’s association with various topics such as viticulture, beekeeping…
At least, a lot of cultural and sport events are present in the parks and contribute to the social life of the habitants, who celebrate every year in June the parks party.
Consultation as a standard principle of the county
The consultation is largely used in Seine-Saint-Denis county and also this acting way is taking out in many parks. Residents, community’s association are associated thank to meetings to the decisions about the life of the park for their management and arrangement.
The more highlight example is the future Haute-Ile’s park which results of the work of county and cities elected representative, inhabitants and future park users.
