PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
For many years, cities have been growing regardless of any environmental considerations. Urban areas often suffer from a lack of natural spaces and those natural habitats that are present are typically fragmented. This can have a significant impact on air, soil and water quality, as well as biodiversity. As ways are sought to address these problems, the use of natural areas in urban settings is becoming a key element in land development policy. The Chanteloup loop, which is located in the northwest of the department of Yvelines in the Ile-de-France region, is a large U-shaped meander of the Seine that creates an area of 2 384 ha surrounded on three sides by river. Most of the land in this loop is uncultivated wasteland and has been identified for urbanisation. At present, several green areas are scattered around this territory with no connections between them.
OBJECTIVES
The SeineCityPark project aimed to demonstrate how the socio-economic development of an urbanised territory of 1 700 ha can be combined with the improvement of local environmental conditions through the creation of green urban infrastructure. The project would develop a management plan that defines a basis for sustainable socio-economic development of the Chanteloup loop, which was approved by the French label Eco-quartier signifying sustainable development of urban areas.
The plan would rehabilitate a neglected quarry and restore it as green open space by creating a 113-hectare ecological and recreational park called Bords de Seine Park. It also aimed to create an active 1.4 km strip where ecological transition through ecotones would be encouraged between park and city. Furthermore, the project aimed to develop ecological infrastructure linking the park to the Seine in the south and the rest of the green network inthe north, the Hautil Massif. The aim was to allow the free movement of land animals, birds, insects, amphibians and dragonflies across the urbanised territory. It planned to use natural clean-up techniques to tackle water and soil pollution and remove invasive aquatic and terrestrial plant species, including Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), the black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) and species of the genus Ludwigia. The works also aimed to deliver a consistent ecological infrastructure that would play a key role in adapting to climate change, including flood control in the Chanteloup loop. Measures planned included the reshaping of 250 m of alluvial shore and the creation of 30 km of paths and 800 m of pier to manage human access. Finally, the project aimed to raise local public awareness on environmental issues to maximise the integration and success of the urban green infrastructure.
RESULTS
The SeineCityPark project targeted four sites, including the Park Peuple de l'herbe where the measures carried out had a considerable beneficial impact. However, actions planned for the other sites experienced delays and were postponed till after the project.
The Park Peuple de l'herbe covering 113 ha was created on the fringe of an urban area to allow for the rehabilitation of a range of habitats. Measures taken included the reshaping of the Seine and the banks of lakes, the removal of invasive species, the treatment of pollution, the creation of pounds and the planting of a diverse range of indigenous species. The park, which is managed by a team of three people from the CU GPS&O, was opened to the public in June 2015. The local authorities view the park, and more generally the environmental quality of the Chateloup loop, as a significant boost to the areas economic attractiveness.
The project was expected to contribute to the creation of an Eco-Port in the Port de Triel, which adjoins the park Peuple de l'herbe, but this aspect of the project experienced delays and only some pre-project studies were completed. The foreseen green infrastructure measures in the project were too far off to justify an extension of LIFE funding.
The first phase of rehabilitation of agricultural land for miscanthus production at Coeur Vert was completed, although the second phase will be finished at a later stage. The planting of trees and bushes at the site are also helping to restore ecological infrastructure, continuity and landscape. However, the two planned wildlife passages under roads were cancelled as a result of delays.
Nevertheless, the actions planned for the Park Peuple de l'Herbe and Coeur Vert, helped publicise their environmental value and the threats to their continuation. Moreover, the project attracted numerous visitors from schools, colleges and scientific institutions, as well as from among the general public. The project contributed to the conservation of the protected species: Ranunculus parviflorus, Cardamine impatiens and Cuscuta europaea.
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
