An Urban Oasis in Paris: Parc Clichy-Batignolles – Martin Luther King.
When most people think of parks in Paris, they picture the Luxembourg Gardens, the Tuileries or the Bois de Boulogne. Few would immediately think of Parc Clichy-Batignolles – Martin Luther King in the 17th arrondissement; generally referred to as the Martina Luther King Park.
Despite being surrounded by striking modern apartment buildings, offices and the impressive new Tribunal de Paris, the park never feels overwhelmed by the city. Instead, it demonstrates that contemporary architecture and nature can reside together.
This is not an old Parisian park with formal avenues and clipped hedges. It is a 10-hectare ecologically designed 21st century park in the heart of the Clichy-Batignolles eco-district, a vast redevelopment project built on what was once an enormous railway freight yard. Opened in stages between 2007 and 2021, the park transformed industrial land into one of Paris’s largest modern green spaces.
Water is one of the three guiding themes of the park’s design, and is a beautiful biotope lake stretching through the centre, edged with reeds, flowering bulrushes, irises and magnificent water lilies.
The landscape is part of an ingenious ecological system. Rainwater and non-potable water are naturally filtered through aquatic plants before being reused to irrigate the park. There is much more to the park than its ponds. Broad lawns invite picnics and afternoon reading, while winding paths lead through woodland, orchards and gardens. It also features a skatepark, basketball courts, and playgrounds.
The park is also home to an impressive diversity of wildlife. More than 500 plant species have been introduced to encourage biodiversity, attracting birds, insects and aquatic life into the site.
The park is named after Martin Luther King Jr., the American civil rights leader whose lifelong commitment to equality and justice transformed history.
