Rouen Normandie Metropolis , France. Size of city : Residents and associations have been invited to transform a former racecourse into a space for leisure and relaxation for all, while preserving the natural ecosystem. The park's educational farm, local producers' shop and restaurant, all run by local stakeholders, offer residents a range of activities based around urban agriculture, while art and design elements reflect the memory of the racecourse. The project repurposed a former racecourse, closed in , to create the largest urban park in the metropolitan area, which is easily accessible by public and active modes of transport.
The park's re-development programme has been co-constructed with local people, from an early stage, as part of an ambitious consultation process that has won regional awards. Its implementation has been a success, thanks to the large and sustained participation of local residents, as well as the production of projects drafted by the associations involved in the consultation phase. During this process, local residents were able to take part in walks on the themes of biodiversity, history and landscape of the site, and virtually create their own park using a gaming process, a first in an urban project, with over virtual parks created.
The former racecourse site is located at the crossroads of four towns in the area: Petit-Quevilly, Grand Quevilly, Sotteville-Les-Rouen, and Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, each of which has its own social context.
The neighbourhoods adjacent to the park also have very different social profiles. Therefore, the challenge was to build an inclusive and unifying park. To ensure everyone's expectations are reflected, the local population and associations were involved in the design and implementation phases, which in the long-term will ensure that amenities are respected. For example, the provision of barbecues for residents without gardens is one of the park's most popular facilities.
Biodiversity issues have been taken into account, by preserving the areas of greatest concern and developing a mosaic of habitats conducive to increased biodiversity. The park is a green space in the city, accessible by means of transport other than the car. Finally, associations and private companies run the educational farm, the restaurant and the local produce shop, demonstrating the short circuit from farm to fork.
