In 1997, the first Lausanne Jardins Festival was organised as a manifesto for the city, a manifesto to change the outlook of Lausanne’s inhabitants on their own city and cities in general – a positive event in the glum atmosphere prevailing at the time. 

Nowadays, Lausanne is enjoying a period of prosperity and rapid development, which brings with it new practices and needs. In this context of in-depth transformation of the urban landscape, Lausanne Jardins’ raison d’être has evolved: the 2019 edition will have to address the current changes, while remaining true to its founding principles. 

The event raises awareness with regard to the significance of public spaces – spaces that aim to improve life in community while offering practical solutions to the issues raised by each selected site. Its role is that of a laboratory, which, over one summer, will test full-scale proposals to improve the quality of use and aesthetics of the chosen sites, thanks to the contemporary art of gardening.