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Title
Marseille, Petit Séminaire neighborhood
Sous-titre
Creation of a greenway in a complex setting with regards topography and waterways
Region(s)
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Name of the priority urban neighborhood (population)
Quartier du Petit Séminaire, 1 306 hab.
Département(s)
Bouches-du-Rhône
Contracting authority
Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence
Name of the municipality (population)
Marseille, 873 076 hab.
Titre
Marseille, quartier du Petit Séminaire | Quartiers de demain
Video
Titre
1. A neighborhood within an area
Texte

Location

The Petit Séminaire neighborhood is located in the northeast of Marseille, in the 13th arrondissement, nestled between the Maurelle valley and the Jarret valley, near Frais Vallon. It is one of Marseille's 41 priority neighborhoods. 

History 

Originally an isolated agricultural site, the Petit Séminaire housing estate was built between 1958 and 1960 based on a design by architect George Candilis to alleviate some of Marseille's slum areas. These 240 low-cost housing units are divided among four buildings along Rue de la Maurelle. The planned roads network has not been fully completed, and the tramway line was discontinued in 1964, with a bus line only introduced in the 1980s. 

From 1976 to 1986, the Petit Séminaire was the site of a unique rehabilitation project led by the team from CERFISE (Center for Studies, Research, and Institutional Training of the Southeast), which brought together architects, sociologists, and photographers. 

From the 1990s onwards, the buildings and exterior public spaces gradually deteriorated. A heritage study of the Petit Séminaire residences conducted in 2018–2019 by social housing provider Habitat Marseille Provence, in connection with urban and social studies of Frais Vallon-La Rose-Petit Séminaire launched in 2017 by the city council, confirmed the impossibility of requalifying this heritage. The demolition of the buildings was therefore carried out between 2020 and 2024. 

Located at the bottom of a valley, the Petit Séminaire neighborhood is structured around Rue de la Maurelle. It consists of a suburban fabric coexisting with large apartment buildings: the Grand Verger co-ownership building, the Les Ruches social housing residences managed by HMP, and the Les Sources residences managed by Grand Delta Habitat.

Images
Map showing the location of the neighborhood

Map showing the location of the neighborhood

Historical map of the neighborhood

Historical map of the neighborhood

Titre
2. The current urban project
Texte

Orientations

The first key element of the urban project for the Petit Séminaire neighborhood focuses on the requalification of all public spaces and infrastructure, leveraging the site's natural landscape qualities and its significant existing woodland. The strong integration of landscaping and the reduction of soil impermeabilization should facilitate the complex issue of managing rainwater run-off on the site, while developing spaces for the benefit of the residents, addressing concerns related to ownership and safety observed in the neighborhood. The proposed green framework for public spaces and the heart of the blocks aims to address issues of ecological continuity. It also promotes the emergence of intergenerational and community activities. 

The urban project also includes a strong housing-focused goal, involving a complete energy renovation of the remaining housing units and the creation of a new, high-quality housing stock, whether social or for sale. 

Finally, the project also plans to rethink the provision of schools and social and welfare facilities in the area. Schools will be renovated, as will the Maison pour Tous and the Maison d'Animation de la Maurelle, in order to reinforce their role as social, community, and sports centres.

Progress update

The neighborhood has entered a phase of significant transformation, with the refurbishment of all the Ruches buildings set to begin after the demolition of the Petit Séminaire residences, which took place between 2021 and 2023. The construction of the fire station and the development of new housing options are already planned. In addition, the renovation of roads infrastructure and landscaped spaces will contribute to improving the quality of life. 

The City of Marseille and the Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence have agreed on a collaborative approach for the design and plans for redeveloping the Petit Séminaire neighborhood and its surroundings. Following the studies conducted in 2018 and 2019, Urban Act has developed a master plan for the area, with the primary goal of establishing a common basis for the project. In April 2024, the metropolitan council approved the importance to the urban area of the development operation.

Images
Aerial photo of the site for consideration

Aerial photo of the site for consideration

Master plan of the ongoing urban project

Master plan of the ongoing urban project

Titre
3. The project put to the teams
Texte

The project site

Rue de la Maurelle is a key structural axis for the Petit Séminaire neighborhood for several reasons. Serving as a transportation route and located in a valley, it is also characterized by its role as a floodplain between the Saint Julien plateau and the Jarret Valley. It has a valuable asset to be exploited in its stretches of open land. The goal is to transform these into a greenway of conurbation-wide significance. 

Initial ideas for programming

The challenges of the project to create a greenway along Rue de la Maurelle lie in the combination of a strong landscaping strategy and the redevelopment of existing infrastructure. This project is based on key elements such as the adapted management of rainwater to reduce flood risks, the enhancement and preservation of the local ecosystem, and the development of green corridors. It should also support the development of active transport in the area and improve connections to public transport to reduce car dependency in the neighborhood. To achieve this, the roads network must be redesigned and resized. Finally, the intervention aims to strengthen spatial and social cohesion by integrating new uses, including sports tracks and water play areas for residents. It is also worth noting that the fire brigade may have specific needs in this regard. 

Continuing the greenway to the west, a park space will reconnect Petit Séminaire with the surrounding hills. At the center of this greenway, a central activities area is to be made at the intersection of Rue de la Maurelle and Rue Marius Briata, near the entrance to the school and the new park.

The ambitions of the project 

More than just reshaping Rue de la Maurelle, the goal is to create a green street that could become a benchmark in adaptation for climate change in Mediterranean cities, providing a cooling island to improve everyday life, and fully integrating its floodable nature during extreme weather events. 

The project's ambition is to transform this section of the greenway into a connection within the neighborhood, making it a living space. As a thoroughfare, it will ease traffic congestion and promote the use of public transport to reduce car use. As a space for social interaction, the local authorities and the social housing provider aim to use this development as a lever for social cohesion, where everyone can find their place: long-term residents as well as newcomers, schoolchildren as well as the elderly, users of the Maison pour Tous as well as firefighters. The goal is to redesign the landscape and unify its uses to sustainably transform these residual, currently neglected green spaces. 

As part of the metropolitan green grid, the greenway and the associated park must constitute vectors for the development of biodiversity.  

 

Images
Aerial photo of the project site

Aerial photo of the project site

Aerial photo of the site for intervention

Aerial photo of the site for intervention

Images
Green space adjacent to Ruches North

Green space adjacent to Ruches North

Enclaved land along Rue de la Maurelle

Enclaved land along Rue de la Maurelle

Ruches North

Ruches North

Ruches South

Ruches South

Rue de la Maurelle

Rue de la Maurelle

Open ground between Rue de la Maurelle and Rue André Suares

Open ground between Rue de la Maurelle and Rue André Suares

Titre
Questions put to the designers during dialogue
Texte

• How a range of uses ensure a landscape design that is an inclusive space, fostering appropriation by the community and establishing connections with its immediate surroundings? 
• How can public roads and spaces be adapted to include modes of active transport and reduce car dependency? 
• Which sustainable materials and methods should be used to ensure climate resilience and long-term infrastructure durability? 
• How can the project remain a dynamic, evolving space that enriches biodiversity over time? What indicators should be established for monitoring ongoing environmental quality post-completion? 
• How can different landscape elements be reconnected and enhanced to ensure ecological continuity in a complex context of waterways and topography? • How can green infrastructure improve the urban functioning of a neighborhood to make a quality living environment?

Images
Métropole Aix Marseille Provence

Métropole Aix Marseille Provence

ville de Marseille

ville de Marseille