Atelier LD | The Praille Acacia neighbourhood
Atelier LD, urbanisme, paysage, ingénierie, VRD, gestion des eaux pluviales, hydraulique, projets urbains, éco-quartiers, rénovation urbaine, extension de ville, Didier Larue, Julio Da Silva, urban planning, water management, sustainable development, public spaces, natural systems, flood management
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The Praille Acacia neighbourhood

Stormwater Management Master Plan

The Praille Acacia neighbourhood

Stormwater Management Master Plan

The Praille-Acacias-Vernet neighbourhood to the south of Geneva consists primarily of industrial and commercial activity. Its transformation aims to provide more than 11,000 dwellings by the end of the project.

The sector is large (200 hectares) and comprises several distinct urban planning projects. In completing the transformation from a predominantly industrial zone to a residential neighbourhood, the idea behind the project was to open up two tributaries of the River Arve that were previously channelled. This would create a connection between the different urban projects, as well as a landscape corridor ensuring ecological and hydrological continuity at the heart of the neighbourhood.

With the objective of reintroducing nature – and the site’s geography – into the urban environment, highlighting the aquatic element meant radically changing Genevans’ relationship with the river by providing a living space with multiple uses.

The resurgence of the two tributaries would be an opportunity to rethink stormwater management throughout the neighbourhood, linking it to the green spaces that would form ecological continuities – in keeping with the hydrological continuities of the flow path of water towards the River Arve. The green and blue belt consisting of planted areas and wetlands would also support the development of different ecosystems in the regenerated zones.

The study’s methodology consisted of permanently co-designing the technical aspects of water management, relating them to the challenges of the urban environment – usage, ambiences, transport/mobility and connections, and anticipating the future development of residential areas.

For optimising rainwater management and limiting its discharge, each of the urban planning projects within the scope included specific recommendations adapted to the urban structures we proposed.

The study also established recommendations and technical proposals for the different types of road corridor for the entire sector, aimed at moving progressively towards a surface-based system for managing rainwater.

Client

Republic and Canton of Geneva

Programme

Study for rainwater management for transforming the Praille-Acacias-Vernet neighbourhood

Scope

Stormwater Management Master Plan

Location

Geneva (Switzerland)

Design team

ATELIER LD: landscape design , hydraulics

Details

Year: 2012 – 2013 / Area: 200 hectares / Project value: €90 000 excluding tax