The Foraging Park > Le jardin des traverses, 2026

Wednesday November 4th, 2026 Zoé Gambier

The Foraging Park > Le Jardin des traverses, 2026

The project site links the town of Guarbecque to the Gare d’eau (canal basin) and its summer refreshment bar. The creation of the Forest Garden revitalises the existing lawns with woodland-type vegetation (hornbeam, oak, hazel), while placing an emphasis on education and the cultivation of fruit-bearing species. The aim is to raise awareness of food and nutrition, and to allow visitors to enjoy a harvest of native fruit. As the site borders a wetland environment along the adjacent canal, moisture-loving (hygrophilous) vegetation complements the tree planting, with species such as poplar, willow and birch. To make the site welcoming, wooden tables, benches and a lounger are arranged throughout the space. Located in the north of France, the project highlights the industrial heritage of the former mining basin: the wood is treated with natural, French-made oils tinted with black pigment, in tribute to the history of the area.

Informations & access

2026

Oeuvre paysagère

Citizen gardens in the mining area

Guarbecque

The artist

Le jardin des traverses

Le Jardin des Traverses is a third place located at the heart of a priority urban neighbourhood (QPV), where people from a wide range of backgrounds and social circumstances come together. Situated between Porte de Clignancourt and Porte de la Chapelle, this local space aims to encourage encounters, knowledge-sharing and experimentation around living things and creativity. First conceived in response to the Parisculteurs call for projects (City of Paris, 2018), Le Jardin des Traverses refers at once to a section of the Petite Ceinture, an association and an urban agriculture project. Members of civil society, landscape architects, designers, builders, urban planners and cultural mediators share a common mission: to create a space for research and knowledge-sharing in the field of urban agriculture, as well as a place for meeting and expression between local residents and external partners. We wish to deliver an artistic and ecological project that strengthens neighbourly solidarity and develops residents’ “social capital”, in direct alignment with the objectives of the City of Paris resilience strategy. Located in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, Le Jardin des Traverses is a community-run third place that embraces culture in all its forms. Its combination of urban agriculture, the arts and culture makes it a unique venue. This is why we wish to make full use of the space and offer participants an immersive experience in this unusual setting. This section of the Petite Ceinture is steeped in history and multiple connections, allowing local residents to feel rooted in a world of its own.