Val d’Europe Marne-la-Vallée, France
Client: Disney Development Company Size: 660 acres Completion: 2004
The 290-acre mixed-use community on the outskirts of Paris includes residential neighborhoods, commercial, cultural, and institutional facilities, parking structures, a Metro station, a bus terminal, and a 1.2 million square foot retail center. Located on existing TGV, Regional, and Metro rail lines, the plan promotes use of rail transportation over vehicular commuting and uses the rail lines to attract concentrated development away from threatened farmlands. Drawing on the best examples of traditional French town planning and landscape design, a framework of boulevards, streets, and large and small squares and parks defines four distinct neighborhoods and a town center. Among other awards, Val d'Europe received a ULI International Award in 2008 and a CNU Charter Award in 2006.