Cité de la Canardière

The cité de la canardière (Canardière estate), symbol of 1960s urban planning

In 1957, the council decided to build what would be Strasbourg’s largest urban development, on what remained of the old Schulmeister estate (over 3200 homes). The estate was completed in 1964 to accommodate the people working on the major industrial estate next to the Plaine des Bouchers. The Canardière was designed and planned by Gustave Stoskopf in accordance with the principles of zoning, an approach which divides an area into separate units, each for a specific purpose: residential areas, shopping areas and facilities.

A central square, a school and a number of parks

While the estate was designed using all the latest advances in urban development (industrialised construction, buildings positioned according to the sun, green spaces, etc.), Stoskopf still applied classic layout features, with a central square - place d’Ile-de-France - and a majestic avenue (avenue de Normandie), lined with 4 rows of plane trees. Facilities and the local school were placed together, in a separate part of the estate, and form the centre.

Parkland stretched out on either side of the estate, while the residential buildings were built in bar-shaped units, each containing some 40 to 70 homes, and a few tower blocks. The apartments themselves were all built along the same templates.

Development of the cité de la canardière as part of the urban renovation project

The estate has seen many changes as part of the urban renovation project, with the demolition of some of the buildings to make way for more compact, space- filled constructions. The improvement in public transport has also brought it much closer to the city and helped bring in new shops and enhance local life.

The cité de la canardière is an excellent illustration of how lessons can be learned from the past to revamp and renovate a district, breathing new life into it and bringing it within the city’s inner environment.