After the city of Beringen in Belgium in 2020, Nantes in France wins the second edition of the European Green Cities Award, organized by the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) within the framework of the promotional project ‘Green Cities Europe’.
Le Jardin Extraordinaire, from old stone quarry to lush park
Le Jardin extraordinaire or 101st garden of Nantes has become an attraction. The former Miséry stone quarry has been transformed into a lush garden. Thanks to a rich plant palette with amongst others tree ferns, century-old ivy, and banana trees, an exotic atmosphere is created, adapted to the pre-existing microclimate on site. A promenade with seven viewpoints links the park to Nantes’ bustling Chantenay district.
The jury was clear: "This future-proof concept enhances the economic and cultural attractiveness of the city of Nantes and brings people together in a social environment. Jardin Extraordinaire is a perfect example of close cooperation between landscape architects, designers, and plant growers. The integration of biodiversity with a well-considered plant selection and waterfall all connected in the existing landscape is considered very innovative."
Le Jardin Extraordinaire competed in this year’s competition with 12 other projects from Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden.
European Parliament enlisted ambassadors of the Green Cities project
The award ceremony took place during an online European Green Cities Conference. Landscapers and other stakeholders in green environment all over Europe saw how Members of the European Parliament Mr. Norbert Lins, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, and Mr. César Luena, Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, expressed the importance of greener European cities as a significant part of the European Biodiversity Strategy.
"As climate change consequences are already affecting our living conditions negatively, and as these effects will continue to worsen, we need to increase nature and green solutions in cities in order to improve cities, population, and services resilience. For this, I support ambitious binding targets on urban biodiversity, nature-based solutions, and green infrastructure in cities," said César Luena, Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety in the European Parliament
"For a long time, perhaps too long, cities and rural areas have been seen as opposites, but only if we succeed in bringing more countryside into the city and more city into the countryside, can we meet the great challenges of our time," Norbert Lins, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Parliament.
Discover more about the Green Cities project and Award on thegreencities.eu.