Constructing Gardens, Cultivating the City

This book explores the innovative parks of late twentieth-century Paris, examining their cultural significance and the evolving relationship between urban spaces and nature.

The book Constructing Gardens, Cultivating the City provides an in-depth cultural history of the innovative parks developed in Paris during the late twentieth century. This period marked a significant transformation as the city embraced adaptive reuse of its industrial spaces. With newfound political autonomy, Paris's local government initiated a park creation campaign in the late 1970s that extended into the early 2000s. The parks discussed in this work exemplify this movement, showcasing various cultural and historical contexts that shaped their designs.

Through extensive archival research, interviews, and critical analyses, Constructing Gardens, Cultivating the City explores how postmodern debates regarding urban planning, public space, and the integration of nature influenced the design and function of these parks. The city adopted the garden as a model for public parks, creating complex and symbolically rich spaces that reflect both contemporary and traditional aesthetics. The parks serve not only as recreational areas for local residents but also as significant contributions to Paris's identity as a global city.

The development of these parks was often marked by conflict, highlighting differing perspectives on the representation of Parisian space and the inherent contradictions of public space versus traditional gardens. Each park illustrates the ongoing cultivation of the city, merging historical significance with contemporary needs, while also engaging with broader trends in landscape architecture, such as citizen gardening and ecological initiatives. Ultimately, Constructing Gardens, Cultivating the City offers a fresh perspective on how urban green spaces can reflect and shape cultural narratives.