New shared garden for students in Paris La Défense

Paris La Défense has recently created a new shared garden! It will be managed and used independently and responsibly by students from the Léonard de Vinci campus, and more specifically by the 25 students from the deVinci Durable association.

This vegetable garden for students joins the long list of green spaces that make up the business district. Now numbering four, the shared gardens are ideal places for sharing and exchange and contribute to the Nature in the City initiative in an area that is constantly changing.

A vegetable garden by and for students!

The Léonard-de-Vinci University Center has taken possession of a 150 m² shared garden in the Faubourg de l'Arche neighborhood. The idea behind this project, supported and carried out by Paris La Défense, is to offer autonomy and space to the students of the deVinci Durable association. This has given students the opportunity to create a natural space where they can grow fruit and vegetables, but also nurture human relationships. The association has established a set of guidelines to follow. Their main concerns include permaculture, water conservation, respect for seasonal produce, and waste reduction. It's an even more virtuous circle because the food harvested is shared with an association called Pôle Léo Cook, which offers meal baskets made up of fresh, local, and environmentally friendly products for students. The creation of a new garden in the heart of a rather urban neighborhood also brings a breath of fresh air and nature to the area.

As you can see, the student community garden is part of a highly virtuous approach. It allows the association's students to learn more about seasonality, agriculture, and permaculture while creating a place that encourages exchange, but that's not all!

The culture of shared gardens in the heart of the neighborhood

La Défense has seen other shared gardens spring up over the years, initiated by the public institution. The first opened its doors in 2016. This was the Jardin des Reflets, which quickly established itself as a space for sharing and socializing for employees and residents of the neighborhood. This space offers areas for growing and planting different species of plants and herbs cultivated by members of the “Vivre Ensemble” association. The site was certified as an eco-garden in 2020.

Learn more about Jardin des Reflets

Another shared garden in Paris La Défense, the Jardin des 5 Continents, was created in 2018 near the Terrasses Boieldieu. Here too, it is a place for residents and users of the business district to meet and share. Like the previous one, this garden was also certified as an eco-garden in 2022, the same year as the third shared garden: the Jardin Suspendu. This peaceful haven, which was inaugurated in 2019, is located away from the main thoroughfares and offers breathtaking views of Paris and the towers of La Défense, while offering the same advantages as the other gardens in the area.

Learn more about jardin des 5 Continents or about jardin Suspendu

See all the green spaces in the neighborhood

37.35 hectares of green space, and soon more!

Today, the area comprises more than 37 hectares of green spaces, including 11 parks and 4 shared gardens, and there are no plans to stop there! With each of its development projects, the Paris La Défense public institution is providing the area with more and more green spaces, which have the triple advantage of combating heat islands, bringing life and conviviality, and of course providing greenery! Looking back, since 2019, more than 10,600 m² of green spaces have appeared in the district, which has made it possible, in particular, to plant vegetation in 35% of pedestrian areas. The district also has 3,847 trees of 113 different species, including 2,877 grown above ground!

The arrival of this new shared garden is therefore fully in line with Paris La Défense's development strategy to address the ecological emergency and climate challenges. And that's not all! We can expect to see more green spaces continue to flourish in the area, following the example of the Park project under construction on La Défense esplanade, A project that will span three years and enable the greening and renovation of an additional 5 hectares of the business district.
Paris La Défense's strategic goal, known as “Raison d'être,” is to become the world's leading post-carbon business district by 2030, by successfully halving greenhouse gas emissions, a goal that is well on track according to the latest carbon footprint!

Learn more about the Nature in the City initiative
Learn more about the strategic direction