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Location
The Europe-Schzeitzer priority neighborhood covers an area of 70.3 hectares in the west of the city of Colmar. It is accessible by several of the city’s main arteries, notably Avenue de l’Europe and Avenue du Général de Gaulle. The scope of the priority urban-policy neighborhood was revised on January 1, 2024 to incorporate the garden city.
History
In October 1925, the council decided on the construction of a new hospital, making available an 11-hectare area of open land in the west of the city. The final 750-bed project was approved by the ministerial authorities in 1932. Swiss architect William Vetter, pupil of Auguste Perret, designed a building in reinforced concrete whose tiered floors are orientated according to the prevailing winds and the sun. Recognising the importance of natural light in the healing process, each room was given a terrace. The new Louis Pasteur Hospital, now listed as a piece of noteworthy modern architecture, was officially opened on November 21, 1937.
Until the beginning of the 1960s, the area to the west of the Pasteur Hospital was occupied by fields and the 1930s garden city, composed of small apartment buildings and detached houses. Faced with growing demand for housing in the 1960s, a huge programme of residential tower blocks began with the creation of the ZUP (priority urban zone for development) in 1959. The first residents moved in during autumn 1964. By 1969, the neighborhood was home to 12,000 people. The development of this area continued, reaching 3,000 homes in 1977. One in five residents of Colmar lived in the Europe neighbourhood.
Since the 1990s, Colmar has sought to implement a strategy of urban renewal and social development in this neighborhood, which has advanced through several phases: joining the ’50 quartiers’ initiative, redevelopment of the Palais Royal Nord area, and finally signing the agreement with ANRU to launch a programme of urban renovation (‘PRU’).

Map showing the location of the neighborhood

Aeriel photograph of the neighborhood, 1972

Site plan of the neighborhood
Orientations
The Programme of Urban Renovation backed by ANRU ran from 2006 to 2020. Comprehensive redevelopment has improved the appeal of the Europe-Schweitzer neighborhood. The aim was to encourage social and functional diversity and to ensure improved transport links with the city centre. The programme has enabled improvement of the housing stock. Six urban areas were the object of intervention within the scope of the agreement, amounting to the demolition of 467 dwellings and the renovation of 862 dwellings.
Work was also carried out on the public spaces in order to facilitate circulation and appropriation by all residents.
The range of public amenities has been renewed by the renovation of five schools, the construction of a socio-cultural centre, and the creation of new flagship amenity, the Europe Centre, housing a socio-cultural centre, a library and an auditorium.
Since then, the council has continued to work with social housing providers on the renewal of this priority neighborhood, in particularly by means of the new Contrat de Ville, the aim of which is to enable Europe-Schweitzer to meet the new challenges of today’s society with ambition and innovation, particularly in terms of the inclusion of all the residents. The redevelopment of La Plaine Pasteur is one of the main drivers of this ambition.
Progress report
Following a call for community initiatives in 2022 and at the residents’ suggestion, Colmar city council conducted studies and a consultation on the future of La Plaine Pasteur. Consequently, in 2023 the council undertook a major initiative, with a competition for ideas open to landscaping and urbanism professionals, and a participative workshop to enable residents and users to formulate their ideas on the site. The proposals that emerged from these two procedures were presented in a travelling exhibition.
In immediate proximity to La Plaine Pasteur, other projects currently under consideration are likely to have an impact on the development of the site:
• Deliberation on the future of the swimming pool complex, whose outdoor pool is only open to the public during the summer, with the aim of rethinking the layout and use of the site.
• The demolition of the four buildings on Rue de Vienne and Rue de Belgrade, to be undertaken late 2024, early 2025. Until now, no major works have ever been undertaken on this city block close to the Europe Centre. A total of 60 apartments over 11 floors in each building are being demolished. A new range of housing units, both for rental and purchase, will be developed on this site.
• The project to redevelop the Pasteur Hospital site, as the hospital has embarked on a master plan to update its facilities, some of which were designed by William Vetter, pupil of Auguste Perret.
• Consideration of the future of the Palais Royal Nord city block, and in particular the building at 25c Avenue de Rome and the council building.
The project site
La Plaine Pasteur forms a huge, 5.5-hectare area in the west of Colmar, between the hospital and the Europe-Schweitzer urban-policy neighborhood. Located 2km from the city centre and formerly part of the hospital’s grounds, the site is today used mainly for sports and leisure activities and festive gatherings. It currently offers little in the way of landscaping or environmental quality, but boasts far-reaching views over the Vosges mountains and a central location.
Initial ideas for programming
In order to meet the needs of the city’s population, the Plaine Pasteur must accommodate a range of uses, catering for a variety of sports, leisure and social activities, while ensuring the happy cohabitation of these uses, and the relationship with the structures in the immediate vicinity of the Plaine. The aim is to create a synergy with the local amenities, which are currently closed in on themselves: hospital, IFSI nursing school, mosque, swimming pool, etc.
Biodiversity is one of the main themes of the development, to define a planted area in line with Climate Strategy and the need for cooling islands. The project is an opportunity to create a teaching space focusing on nature and the landscape.
To the west, the Copenhague area, initially preserved as a land bank for a housing action programme, can now be included in the development of La Plaine Pasteur.
To the south, the Palais Royal site should be considered as part of the overall scheme. The landlord is concerned about the long-term future of the property on the site and its relationship with the neighboring public facility.
The ambitions of the project
The aim of the Plaine Pasteur project is to radically transform this space into an attractive venue for the city and the wider area, with broader appeal than just a neighborhood amenity. The aim is to create a space with a distinct identity and aesthetic, user-friendly and easy to access.
The city aspires to realising an ambitious project within a global dynamic, promoting innovation and sustainability while using the Plaine Pasteur as a lever for social unity. La Plaine Pasteur aims to be an inclusive space, where everyone can find their place. Careful thought needs to be given to designing the public space in order to avoid any kind of exclusion or discrimination. Particular attention should be given to the place of women in this space, as well as intergenerational diversity, to ensure the well-being of everyone.
Taking this further, one of the major themes of the project is the creation of a peaceful space. It is important to facilitate multiple uses by developing areas suitable to each while safeguarding the well-being of all users and local residents. Colmar council thereby desires that the development be undertaken on the basis of carefully researched public security considerations, ensuring a serene environment accessible to all users.
In terms of environmental strategy and the development of biodiversity, the Colmar council wishes choices to be founded on solid scientific research. Development proposals must nurture the ecosystem of the Plaine Pasteur, encouraging biodiversity and ensuring the efficient management of natural ressources based on objective assessment.
A Central Park for Alsace.

Existing layout

North entrance

South entrance

The eastern edge

View north

The western area

View west

View south
• How can a landscaping project constitute a key vector for the identity and appeal of the area?
• How can a range of uses be harnessed to make a landscaped area that is a place to be enjoyed by everyone, a place that makes its presence felt throughout the priority urban-policy neighborhood and beyond, in a dynamic of establishing links with the surrounding area?
• How can the development be approached not as a static space, but as a living space that will evolve and grow through the seasons and the years, notably in terms of biodiversity? What measures should be used to monitor the environmental quality of the site in the years following completion?
• How can questions of public safety be integrated into the development of a major public space such as La Plaine, and what guidelines should be used in this?