VERLINGHEM FOREST : A NEW METROPOLITAN NATURAL AREA 2021 LILLE METROPOLIS

Team : Agence Laverne, PCM Ingénierie, Eco’Logic

The Verlinghem forest is the first step in a large project to enhance the natural and agricultural spaces of the Lille metropolitan area.

Recently acquired by the metropolis, this managed woodland presents an overall closed environment, with numerous parcels of average ecological and landscape quality. Particularly poplar patches whose sanitary condition is concerning. However, it is threaded with a dense network of ditches and ponds revealing potential for interesting habitats.

The goal of the project is to convert this 40-hectare formerly private forest into a publicly accessible natural area while increasing its ecological quality. These two objectives, which may seem contradictory, have led us to divide the woodland in two. The southwestern part, the richest ecologically, will be preserved, while the northeastern part, articulated around a historic and disused driveway linking the woodland to the village and the network of country paths, will remain accessible.

The former driveway, which becomes the main axis of the woodland, is doubled by a secondary woodland path that relies on the village’s historical framework. The central strip thus created accommodates the most dense flows and uses (playful installations, reception panels, bicycle racks, etc.). On either side, more confidential trails made of earth, or elevated boardwalks in sensitive areas, allow visitors to explore the woodland in depth and discover remarkable features.

The opening of the paths is accompanied by the creation of new ditches and the restoration of existing ditches and ponds. Most poplars are felled to allow the water table to rise above the ground and restore a wetland forest habitat, while the spaces closest to the village are preserved and densified to reinforce the edge effect.

The project also extends over the long term on a metropolitan scale by deploying a network of paths throughout the Lille countryside.

They will connect remarkable sites such as the woodland with the cities and villages of the metropolis and showcase the preserved agricultural landscapes at the gates of the urban area.

These paths, used by pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders, and agricultural machinery, will have to support these multiple recreational uses while remaining functional for farmers.

In the interest of sustainability, we have chosen to prioritize cohabitation of uses to reduce the impact and impermeability on agricultural land. Thus, the paths, mainly based on existing routes, consist of two treated lanes.

The project also includes the development of a stout, custommade line of furniture and signage, recalling the identity of the territory.