Revitalizing urban spaces: Ten key lessons from the “Viaduc des arts” adaptive reuse and placemaking

Abstract

This study focuses on the adaptive reuse and placemaking of the Viaduc des Arts, an obsolete viaduct in Paris, and examines its impact on the city's economic, urban, cultural, and sustainable identities. It aims to showcase unconventional solutions applied to create an elevated linear park and a coherent commercial identity under the vaults while enhancing the district's imageability and attractiveness.

Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study analyzes various action modes in architectural and urban regeneration, highlighting ten valuable lessons learned from the Viaduc des Arts rehabilitation. These lessons provide crucial insights into effective urban regeneration and placemaking strategies, emphasizing the need to update objectives and employ appropriate methodologies for future projects. The Viaduc des Arts serves as a paradigmatic case study, demonstrating the successful transformation of an obsolete viaduct into a commercial, vibrant cultural, and urban space, underscoring the importance of updating urban regeneration objectives.