Prefiguring the Future of Jean Jaurès Square
TYPE Prefigurative and participative urban development programming study of the Square Jean Jaurès at La Courneuve
STATUS Completed
DATE July 2019 > February 2020
LOCATION 110 Avenue Jean Jaurès in la Courneuve
PARTNERS Ville Ouverte (representative association), Féminicités (association for gender awareness and equality in the city)
FINANCIAL SUPPORTERS Plaine Commune
A Gentle Transformation of the Square
The prefigurative urban development programming study of Jean Jaurès Square was centred around workshops and participative working groups in order to prepare the gentle transformation of the area, taking place in parallel with the inauguration of the Collège des 4 Routes (middle-school). Ville Ouverte’s mission was to observe the Square’s uses in situ and facilitate a number of workshops with diverse publics in order to gather ideas and understand expectations. The development of sensitive urban diagnostic tools allowed Quatorze to determine the principles for the development of a co-construction plan. Two participatory construction sites were established, preceded by a co-design workshop with target audiences, and followed by an evaluation of the installation.
Making the Park Shine
To respond to the problem of urban fragmentation and promote the sharing of uses in time and space, the work parties at the Square were organised around three main themes.
First of all, we wanted to initiate new dynamics by opening up the boundaries of the Square to incite a more mixed public, such as women and adolescents, to interact with the space. To revitalize the image of the square, a colourful mural was painted on the concrete wall by local children. We also sought to improve visibility by using playful signage. The first changes were announced with a sign visible to Jean Jaurès Avenue, with the word “Tadam!”. Finally, four different urban furniture pieces were created out of wood to create seating and support a variety of other uses. They were installed in a way to encourage users to appropriate the space in their own way.
Our last prefiguration mission was a light event, the intention of which was to re-enchant the square and its little-studied nocturnal practices. Equipped with different lighting devices, we experimented with different scenarios and lighting atmospheres with local inhabitants.
