Saint-Père Park, Ferme des Saules Park, and the Gourdine Quays by Praxys Paysage

In Lagny-sur-Marne, the project is part of a comprehensive renaturation approach. Enhancing spontaneous and unique nature promotes the experience of a remarkable landscape at the heart of the city. This urban quality, enabling people to reconnect with accessible nature, is expressed both through the ecological restoration of the riverbanks and the implementation of a management strategy for existing ecosystems. The project revolves around three key sites: Saint-Père Park, Ferme des Saules Park, and the Gourdine Quays.

The project in Lagny-sur-Marne consists of parks and riverbanks—Saint-Père Park, Ferme des Saules Park, and the Gourdine Quays—all bordered by the Marne River and the Ru Bicheret stream. Within this river landscape, the spaces are characterized by a balance between nature, public use, and the urban context. The site is located on the left bank of the Marne, at the edge of Parisian urbanization, and stretches from Lagny-sur-Marne to Thorigny. The project focuses on a genuine hydrological and urban renaturation process, revealing the river and its ecosystems.

It was essential to reconnect this piece of land with its geographical identity—that of the Marne’s floodplain. Reopening the Ru Bicheret enhances the feeling of an island landscape. The amplified presence of water awakens a strong collective imagination. The project reintroduces the stream by creating new pathways, pontoons, and footbridges. This proximity to water and nature encourages new activities: nautical, recreational, and educational.

Reconnecting people to spontaneous nature involves highlighting natural elements, such as water and vegetation. The project’s approach is based on a careful consideration of what already exists. It builds upon a natural foundation to create a peaceful, cool, and green space within the city. This riverside park draws on the natural beauty of this water-rich territory, emphasizing its strengths and its fragility. The project guides the energy of nature over time. Some areas of the parks are mowed to allow for recreational use, others are scythed to promote the growth of specific plants and attract insects, while other zones are left to spontaneous regeneration.

Following the same philosophy, the project integrates the reuse of all materials found on-site. What was once considered waste—collected in heaps—becomes a resource and an opportunity to create new habitats.

The restoration of the Gourdine Quays combines effective protection against hydraulic constraints with ecological enhancement. The riverbanks had been heavily degraded; the concrete embankments were disintegrating due to the wake created by river traffic. The project proposed a paradigm shift, relying on plant engineering—based on flexibility and adaptability. After demolishing the concrete embankments, nature was allowed to reclaim the area, with white willows, alders, ashes, and sedges taking root. This new green setting invites residents to enjoy the different pontoons, benches, and other features, in tune with the seasons and the rhythms of the Marne.

The project encourages residents to rediscover this territory by celebrating living, welcoming nature. It offers a wide variety of uses: walks, picnics, moments of relaxation with friends, strolls along the riverbanks or within the green setting of the Marne—creating a space for both collective living and contemplation.

• Collaborators:
  Partners: Praxys: landscape architect and urban planner – INVARR: civil engineering office (roads and utilities) – Sinbio: expertise in bioengineering, hydraulics, legal and regulatory aspects related to water – OGE: ecologist, legal and regulatory aspects related to natural areas
  Client: Communauté d’agglomération de Marne et Gondoire

more by Praxys Paysage

Simone Veil Esplanade by Praxys Paysage