WATER MANAGEMENT & TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY ST. ÉTIENNE
THE PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEM
The Strategy qualifies the neighbourhood, names the spaces, shapes the valleys and public places, and delineates new intensities within the district and beyond, towards the larger landscape and the city centre.
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The expanded Furan river, flowing through the Riverpark, traverses four distinct sequences, activating each as it passes. First, it flows through the creative, artisanal, and industrial district, the productive engine of our ecosystem. It meets the Furet at the confluence, while at the Friche, in the forum, industries, creators, and entrepreneurs who have taken over the vacant warehouses are busy and collaborate on the “Made in St-Étienne” or have a drink at Jitek’, watching people bustle around the forum, the theatre of neighbourhood life.
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The green ribbon of the Furan extends into the Cité du Circulaire district. Its university and the Fabrique strive here to recycle, recover, repurpose, and reuse materials, giving them a second life in collaboration with local industries and artisans. This creative synergy is accompanied by the vibrancy of the Lake Plain where swimmers, joggers, and climbers are active, intersecting with small festivals taking place on the Podium.
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The Furan continues its journey, meandering through the artisan district where small workshops neighbour mechanics. The newcomers have built their workshops on the ground floor and live above them. The large modernist blocks have been renovated and improved, rising amidst the forest and right by the Furan, which winds its way toward the school complex.![]()
Passing a small threshold where it waters fly fishers, the Furan finally enters the village core and follows its steps. There, strollers chat and read the newspaper, drinking coffee bought on the new square. The area has also changed, with asphalt courtyards giving way to large rain and recreation gardens where children play and get lost in the shade of the willows.![]()
These are the moments and intensities that the combination of water and design can create. The productive ecosystem is a radical but entirely achievable utopia. Saint-Étienne would benefit from pooling its ambitions to create its city of tomorrow, a green and blue city, socially active and incredibly attractive.
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The expanded Furan river, flowing through the Riverpark, traverses four distinct sequences, activating each as it passes. First, it flows through the creative, artisanal, and industrial district, the productive engine of our ecosystem. It meets the Furet at the confluence, while at the Friche, in the forum, industries, creators, and entrepreneurs who have taken over the vacant warehouses are busy and collaborate on the “Made in St-Étienne” or have a drink at Jitek’, watching people bustle around the forum, the theatre of neighbourhood life.
The green ribbon of the Furan extends into the Cité du Circulaire district. Its university and the Fabrique strive here to recycle, recover, repurpose, and reuse materials, giving them a second life in collaboration with local industries and artisans. This creative synergy is accompanied by the vibrancy of the Lake Plain where swimmers, joggers, and climbers are active, intersecting with small festivals taking place on the Podium.
The Furan continues its journey, meandering through the artisan district where small workshops neighbour mechanics. The newcomers have built their workshops on the ground floor and live above them. The large modernist blocks have been renovated and improved, rising amidst the forest and right by the Furan, which winds its way toward the school complex.
Passing a small threshold where it waters fly fishers, the Furan finally enters the village core and follows its steps. There, strollers chat and read the newspaper, drinking coffee bought on the new square. The area has also changed, with asphalt courtyards giving way to large rain and recreation gardens where children play and get lost in the shade of the willows.
These are the moments and intensities that the combination of water and design can create. The productive ecosystem is a radical but entirely achievable utopia. Saint-Étienne would benefit from pooling its ambitions to create its city of tomorrow, a green and blue city, socially active and incredibly attractive.
Place St. Etienne FR
Date 2021
Type International landscape and urban design competition 1st Prize
Client French Ministry of Ecological Transition
Team Robert Younger, LARGE Landscape, Léa Soret
Date 2021
Type International landscape and urban design competition 1st Prize
Client French Ministry of Ecological Transition
Team Robert Younger, LARGE Landscape, Léa Soret