France

Candidate – France

Submission by: LUMA Arles

Project name: Parc des Ateliers

Short description

Situated near the historic centre of Arles, the 6-hectare Parc des Ateliers was once a barren landscape exposed to harsh winds and intense summer sunshine. The project aims to transform the area into a resilient public park by incorporating elements of the surrounding ecoregions: the Camargue wetlands, the Crau alluvial plain and the rocky Alpilles massif.

As part of the LUMA cultural complex, the park connects various architectural sites and offers residents a vibrant public space. It celebrates the region’s diverse landscapes by blending these three distinct environments. Through innovative design and partnerships, the project addresses contemporary climate challenges while fostering biodiversity.

A central pond and 80,000 trees, shrubs and plants help to cool the area and create habitats for insects, birds, amphibians and bats. As an evolving living laboratory, Parc des Ateliers serves as a prototype for the revitalisation of abandoned industrial sites, combining climate resilience with ecological innovation.

a) Social Cohesion: A Hub for Social Cohesion and Inclusivity

Parc des Ateliers is a dynamic space that strengthens social cohesion and inclusion. Open to all, it brings together both residents and tourists, fostering connections through shared experiences. The park’s accessible paths and shaded lawns encourage relaxation, sport and leisure, creating opportunities for intergenerational and intercultural exchange.

The park plays a central role in developing a sense of community belonging. It serves as a dynamic hub, hosting various local associations, yoga clubs, workshops and events, and offering a varied programme that caters to a wide range of interests. Its 24 distinct areas promote inclusion and allow citizens to take ownership of their environment.

The park has established partnerships with environmentalists and schools to organise participatory planting workshops and teach natural plant dispersal methods. These educational and engaging activities strengthen residents’ connection to nature and foster a sense of belonging.

Parc des Ateliers is a green space that promotes social cohesion, encourages sharing nature and embodies a new way of living together based on inclusion and solidarity.

b) Biodiversity: A Biodiversity Revival in the Heart of Arles

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles has had a profound positive impact on biodiversity by transforming a sterile, concrete industrial site into a thriving ecological system. Once an arid and lifeless platform, the six-hectare park now supports a wide variety of plant and animal species thanks to the introduction of more than 80,000 trees, shrubs, and undergrowth. These native and Mediterranean species – such as pines, oaks, and arbutus – create multiple layers of vegetation that provide shade, food, and shelter for diverse forms of wildlife.

The large pond, connected to the historic Canal de Craponne, serves as both a water reservoir and a microclimate regulator, fostering the presence of amphibians, birds, insects, and bats. This new wetland-like environment plays a crucial role in restoring ecological balance. Collaborations with the Tour du Valat, a research institute for Mediterranean wetlands, ensure that ecological monitoring and habitat management are scientifically guided.

The Parc des Ateliers demonstrates how urban design can regenerate nature, creating a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem that enriches both environmental health and human experience.

c) Economic Factors: Ecological innovation can generate strong economic benefits

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles exemplifies how ecological innovation can generate strong economic benefits while addressing climate and social challenges. By transforming an abandoned industrial site into a lush, climate-resilient park, the project has revitalized the local economy and strengthened Arles’ cultural and touristic appeal. Its integration with the LUMA creative campus attracts visitors, boosting nearby hotels, restaurants, and shops, and positioning Arles as a model of sustainable urban regeneration.

The initiative helped preserve/create jobs in construction, landscaping, and maintenance, engaging local businesses, fostering regional expertise and supporting the green economy.

The park’s self-sufficient water system and drought-resistant vegetation also minimize maintenance costs and resource use, making it a financially sustainable model.

The Parc des Ateliers demonstrates that environmental design can drive economic growth, enhance local identity, and inspire future investment in resilient, sustainable urban development.

d) Climate: a Climate-Resilient Blueprint for the Future

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles is a pioneering example of climate resilience and sustainable landscape design. Covering six hectares, it features over 80,000 drought-resistant native plants that form an adaptive ecosystem capable of thriving amid heat and water scarcity. Its asymmetrical topography, shaped to harness wind patterns, creates protective microclimates that stabilize soil and shield vegetation.

An advanced hydraulic system collects, stores, and redistributes rainwater, supported by an underground reservoir and a connection to the historic Canal de Craponne. Smart sensors (Urbasense) optimize irrigation and aim for full water autonomy, minimizing resource use.

Through three years of ecological monitoring, the park has achieved a low-maintenance balance, allowing natural processes to guide its evolution. Combining engineering, ecology, and local expertise, the Parc des Ateliers demonstrates how urban green spaces can be self-sufficient, adaptable, and regenerative—a model for cities confronting future climate challenges.

e) Wellbeing of Visitors/Users

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles represents a major transformation for the inhabitants. This green oasis mitigates heat, improves air quality, and offers a welcoming environment for both people and wildlife – birds, insects, bats, and amphibians – enhancing biodiversity in the city.

Open to all, the park reconnects inhabitants with nature and celebrates the region’s landscapes, strengthening local identity and pride. It also serves as a “living laboratory,” where environmental research and creative uses coexist. Beyond its ecological benefits, the project revitalizes a once-abandoned industrial area, improving urban life, social cohesion, and cultural vitality.

By combining environmental innovation, aesthetic quality, and community accessibility, the Parc des Ateliers enhances residents’ well-being physically, socially, and emotionally. It stands as a model of 21st-century urban resilience, showing how landscape design can help cities adapt to climate challenges while improving everyday life.

f) Selection, Origin, and Quality of Used Products and Materials

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles demonstrates a meticulous and sustainable approach to material and plant selection, combining ecological performance, local heritage, and technical innovation. The project has prioritized native species, local resources, and environmentally responsible materials.

Over 80,000 plants were introduced, including drought-resistant species such as holm oak (Quercus ilex), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), Montpellier maple (Acer monspessulanum), and stone pine (Pinus pinea). These plants, were chosen for their adaptation to the Mediterranean climate, low water requirements, and biodiversity value..

The project prioritized reuse and sustainability. Instead of removing the existing concrete platform, designers retained and reshaped it to form new topographies, reducing waste and preserving archaeological remains. The hydraulic infrastructure integrates natural and technological systems: rainwater is collected, filtered, and stored in underground reservoirs connected to the Canal de Craponne, forming a self-sustaining irrigation network.

All materials and vegetation were selected to ensure long-term durability, minimal maintenance, and low energy consumption.

g) Overall Design (landscape and optional associated buildings)

A Visionary Landscape Design

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles is a landmark example of how landscape design can merge ecology, architecture, and art to create a resilient, multifunctional urban space. Designed by landscape architect Bas Smets, the six-hectare park transforms a once barren industrial site – formerly a railway repair yard – into a vibrant green landscape integrated with the LUMA Arles cultural campus.

The park’s design is guided by the concept of topographical transformation. Rather than removing the existing concrete platform, a layer of fertile soil was sculpted above it, creating an asymmetrical terrain inspired by the region’s natural forces – particularly the Mistral wind. This new topography forms gentle slopes and depressions that provide shade, protect from wind, and channel rainwater toward a central pond, the park’s climatic heart. The pond functions as both an irrigation reservoir and a cooling system, generating a microclimate that moderates Arles’ intense summer heat.

The vegetation layout reflects the diversity of local Mediterranean ecosystems – the Camargue, Crau, and Alpilles – through 80,000 trees, shrubs, and plants arranged in ecological zones. This gradient of vegetation fosters biodiversity and invites visitors to experience multiple atmospheres, from open meadows to shaded groves. Pathways weave organically through these landscapes, encouraging walking, reflection, and cultural encounters.

The park also connects seamlessly with the architectural components of LUMA Arles. These structures emerge from the greenery like sculptural landmarks, creating a dialogue between nature, heritage, and contemporary art.

Every element of the design – topography, planting, water management, and built form – serves both ecological and social purposes. The result is a self-sustaining urban ecosystem that offers beauty, comfort, and community engagement while embodying a forward-looking model of climate-adaptive, cultural landscape design.

h) Impact on the Environment (holistic, circular approach)

A Sustainable Model for Environmental Resilience

The Parc des Ateliers in Arles embodies a holistic and circular approach to environmental design, transforming a former industrial wasteland into a living, regenerative ecosystem. Rather than erasing the site’s history, the project reused and reshaped the existing concrete platform, minimizing demolition, waste, and carbon emissions. This strategy reflects a circular design philosophy, where resources are conserved, repurposed, and integrated into new ecological cycles.

The introduction of over 80,000 native, drought-resistant plants supports biodiversity and builds resilience against climate extremes. The vegetation captures carbon, filters pollutants, and improves soil quality, while layered plant structures create habitats for birds, insects, amphibians, and bats. This living system regenerates itself with minimal maintenance, fostering long-term ecological balance.

Water management is central to the project’s sustainable approach. A network of hydraulic systems, including a rainwater collection and storage infrastructure linked to the Canal de Craponne, ensures efficient irrigation and cooling. The central pond acts as a thermal regulator, generating a microclimate that lowers air temperatures and reduces the urban heat island effect. Over time, the park aims to achieve water self-sufficiency, relying solely on natural rainfall.

Energy efficiency and material reuse further reinforce the park’s environmental performance. Local stones, recycled aggregates, and permeable surfaces were employed to minimize embodied energy and enhance groundwater recharge. Monitoring technologies such as Urbasense sensors optimize irrigation and resource use, ensuring adaptive management.

Overall, the Parc des Ateliers exemplifies a closed-loop ecological model—where natural, technical, and social systems interact harmoniously. By integrating reuse, biodiversity, and self-sufficiency, it demonstrates how urban landscapes can become regenerative infrastructures that not only mitigate environmental impact but actively restore ecological health and resilience for future generations.

i) Innovation Value of the Project

A Pioneering Model of Urban Innovation.

The Parc des Ateliers stands out as a pioneering model of urban innovation, blending ecology, technology, and social design.

Its wind-sculpted topography – inspired by the Mistral winds – creates natural microclimates that regulate temperature and protect against harsh weather, reducing the need for artificial cooling. The bioclimatic design exemplifies the integration of environmental sustainability with architectural functionality.

The park’s self-sustaining water system integrates rainwater harvesting, underground reserves, and the historic Canal de Craponne, ensuring irrigation autonomy. Smart sensors monitor soil moisture in real time, optimizing water use and eliminating waste.

The transdisciplinary approach merges landscape architecture, climate science, and agronomy, making it a global benchmark for urban regeneration. This fusion has created a living laboratory where biodiversity thrives, setting a new standard for ecological restoration in cities.

The park’s social and cultural integration makes it a model for inclusive urban spaces. By involving residents in participatory planting and educational programs, it fosters community engagement while providing a resilient, adaptable space for future generations.

In summary, the Parc des Ateliers redefines urban resilience by proving that innovation, sustainability, and well-being can coexist harmoniously in a single, visionary project.