For several years now, the city of Paris has been pursuing a policy of reinforcing the presence of vegetation in the capital. Beyond the traditional alignments of trees, or the landscaping of parks and gardens, the city is also interested in “urban forests”. These kinds of forests are now seen as a possible source of biodiversity and freshness at the heart of a dense urban fabric. Within the framework of this reflection, MDP Michel Desvigne Paysagiste has been entrusted with the task of providing technical assistance for the definition of principles for the development of urban forests.

The method followed is based on the analysis of different types of wooded areas existing in urban environments. A comparison of selected concrete cases in France and the rest of the world has enabled the most characteristic formal, structural, and functional aspects to be identified. In addition to this landscape and urban analysis, a precise scientific and technical approach was added, supported by the contribution of specialists, notably engineers, ecologists, and environmentalists. 

The final part of the study attempts to define the principles for the design, realization and management over time of these forests. Based on the constraints of the Parisian context, the questions of technical feasibility and planting conditions are addressed.

All the reflections carried out within the framework of this eight-week study are summarized in a synthesis document that makes it possible to establish the first prescriptions for the development and design of this hybrid landscape.  This research represents for us a study of prefiguration and exploration. It is part of an approach to be implemented over the long term of the city's development. This first stage will have to be followed by the conception and concrete realization of prototypes in order to enrich the principles.