Jardin Chenard et Walcker, Garden in Les Grésillons, Gennevilliers, France

Jardin Chenard et Walcker is a small green space of roughly 5,700 square meters in the Les Grésillons neighborhood of Gennevilliers, France. It opens onto a wide lawn with clusters of rocks, a children’s slide, and metal benches along the paths, with three entrances connecting it to the surrounding streets and a nearby green corridor.

Until the mid-20th century this plot was part of the Chenard and Walcker car manufacturing site, with factory buildings erected here from 1908. After the industrial activity ended, the land sat empty until the city of Gennevilliers converted it into a public garden in June 2009.

The name on the garden sign recalls the car factory that once stood here, but the space itself is now shaped by everyday local routines. In warmer months, families gather around the play area while others sit on benches near the lawn, listening to the hum of the surrounding streets fade into the background.

The three separate entrances make it easy to approach from different sides of the neighborhood, including the Missak Manouchian green corridor. The flat paths and wide grassy areas are simple to walk across, and the metal benches give plenty of spots to pause while children use the playground.

Since 2016, some of the grassy areas have been kept short by grazing sheep instead of lawnmowers, a practice that surprises many first-time visitors. Small wooden nest boxes for birds and insects are also tucked among the shrubs, and many of them are actively used.