Along with the Catalan architect Joan Busquets, we are in charge of the creation of a guiding development plan for Dunkirk's city center, as well as of the construction of projects for a few of its pilot sites.

One of the ambitions shared by the many actors involved is the successful establishment of plant life in the public spaces. The reconstructed city center contains many urban blocks whose considerable inner areas we aimed at transforming through the introduction of substantial masses of trees.

The wind and sea spray are very limiting constraints. Nevertheless, the transformation of the city center's image becomes possible by taking advantage of the numerous urban situations protected from the natural elements. While it is commonplace to evoke the future presence of “nature” in the city, we have to admit it is a valid and pressing subject, and that the projects, and above all the constructions these projects produce, are for the most part to come. They belong to a genuine “vision” that is in the process of being built. This is one of the main focuses of the study conducted in Dunkirk.

Another focus lies in taking advantage of the long time period necessary for the projects, prefiguring the functions and architecture of the sites. This is what we designed for Mole 1 at Dunkirk's port. Urban transformations are necessarily slow. We propose “intermediate” states that succeed in imparting immediate quality and functions to the site, while prefiguring their future purpose.

With simple means – a large grass “carpet”, temporary mineral surfaces, small plant nurseries – small urban pockets develop their structure and regular functioning.