Dr. Amanda Shoaf Vincent, assistant professor of French at Wake Forest University, will present a talk titled “Learning from Paris: Legacy Parks and the Future of Green Spaces” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, via Zoom.

Abstract: Paris, like many world cities, has significantly expanded its public green space in the past 40 years, developing numerous parks, gardens and squares since the 1980s. In Paris, one of the most significant parks of this period is Parc André-Citroën, a large park on the southwest edge of the city that was viewed as an avant-garde experiment in urban landscaping upon its inauguration. Despite efforts to imagine “the park of the 21st century,” after only 40 years, this park and others of its time appear poorly adapted to present day needs. City dwellers’ and officials’ perceptions of how parks should function as social spaces, as ecosystems, and as meaningful contributions to the city’s image, have changed as social equity and climate change response, among other concerns, have come to the fore of elected officials’ concerns. Recent changes to Parc André-Citroën and other Paris parks illustrate the challenges facing urban parks and how green space can be adapted as users’ expectations change over time.

All lectures in the series will be held via Zoom and are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the arts, languages, and philosophy department at 573-341-4185 or email alp@mst.edu.