Urban Design Plan

A chain of public spaces and a green network across municipalities form the backbone of urban development. A large city park transforms the former Solay site.

The 300-hectare study area straddles the municipalities of Marquette-lez-Lille, Saint-André-Lez-Lille, and La Madeleine. The area inhabits the meeting point between the dense urban fabric of Lille and the more rural Arc Nord region, making it a key part of current development in the Lille metropolitan area. It comprises multiple abandoned industrial sites and evolving spaces around the Deûle canal. The area has several constraints, like soil pollution, as well as a rich cultural heritage, like the buildings of the Grands Moulins de Paris (a former flour mill) and the ruins of the abbey of Jeanne de Flandre, Countess of Flanders. The area will soon be connected to two new public transportation lines: a tram and a rapid transit bus route.

The river Deûle becomes a connection to nature for local and metropolitan area residents alike

Green infrastructure surrounds Lille: the Cimetière de l’Est cemetery, the Plaine du Sililam park, the Jardin des Plantes botanical garden, the Jardin Vauban park and garden, and the Parc de la Citadelle. Our project adds extensive rewilded spaces to this green infrastructure, creating an uninterrupted landscape corridor between the Parc de la Citadelle and the Arc Nord.

A chain of public spaces forms the backbone of urban development

Despite an abundance of undeveloped land, the banks of the Deûle lack wild, wooded, and intentionally-designed public areas. Riverbanks are rewilded and widened to a minimum of 30m across where possible (at Solvay and Boone-Gallo), creating uninterrupted pathways and ecological expanses. This new green fabric stretches north and south while a network of public spaces extends east and west, opening a dialogue that spans the river.

The chain of greenery will soon be connected to the metropolitan area by major north-south transportation routes running parallel to the Deûle (the Voie Verte greenway, the LINO, continuous bike paths and footpaths, the tram, etc.). A vocabulary of wooded bands and tree-lined backdrops animates each site throughout the project: existing urban infrastructure, zones in development and planning stages, building courtyards, as well as preliminary public spaces, parks, and gardens, and more.

A large city park unites public spaces along the banks of the Deûle

A vast park around 25 hectares large is added to the network of densely planted public spaces. The centrally-located Solvay site encompasses 660m of Deûle riverfront, making it the perfect spot for the park. The site’s environmental character is conserved, enhanced, and celebrated.

The Jeanne de Flandre abbey ruins, a biodiversity hotspot, provide numerous species with diverse habitats for reproduction, feeding, and rest. These habitats expand into the rows of trees and three-decades-old grove of the Jeanne de Flandre garden, which is preserved. The abandoned Solvay site includes portions of the archaeological ruins of the Jeanne de Flandre abbey, infusing the site with crucial historical importance. This historical importance underlies the park’s design and shines through its landscape.

A hub of biodiversity between the Parc de la Citadelle and the Arc Nord, the future park features an urban-inspired exterior, a wooded perimeter, forests, groves, and two beautiful, interlinked meadows that open onto the riverfront. A large, multi-use facility, currently in the planning stage, will maximize the park’s impact on the Lille metropolitan area.