Le Jardin Extaordinaire or 101st garden of Nantes has won the second edition of the European Green Cities Award, organised by the European Nurserystock Association (ENA) within the framework of the promotional project ‘Green Cities Europe’.
The former Miséry stone quarry has been transformed into an extraordinary, lush garden. Thanks to an incredibly rich plant palette, boasting tree ferns, century-old ivy and banana trees, amongst others, an exotic atmosphere has been created, adapting to the pre-existing micro climate on site. Moreover, a promenade with seven stunning 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.
The award ceremony took place during an online European Green Cities Conference attended by landscapers and other stakeholders in green environment from all over Europe. 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 negatively our living conditions and 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.”
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, we can meet the great challenges of our time.”
Norbert Lins, Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development in the European Parliament
More than 300 European Cities reached by the ‘Green Cities Europe’-project
The European Green Cities Conference and Award is an initiative of the project ‘Green Cities Europe’. This is a platform that stimulates the greening of public space by providing innovative ideas, information based on scientific research and technical expertise.
The activities of this platform focus on certain themes: health, climate, economy, biodiversity and social cohesion. The project is an initiative by the ENA and nursery organisations in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. The project is running in these 13 countries, that represents more than 300 European cities.
“The Green Cities project is THE place to learn and experience what green can do in your city. A green environment is necessary for a vital and healthy community. Trees and plants contribute substantially to solving heat stress, air pollution, flooding and lack of biodiversity inside and outside the city.”
Henk Raaijmakers, ENA President.
Discover more about the Green Cities project and Award at https://thegreencities.eu/
Read about Dublin Landings, the Irish national winner of the Green Cities Award, here.
