ABSTRACT
Amiens, the regional capital of Picardy, achieved fame in the sixteenth century for the manufacture of a particular satin cloth made with gold and silver thread; water mills situated on the many branches of the Somme have played an important part in its economy. Nowadays it is more readily associated with the First World War cemeteries scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. In 1990 the mayor and town council had the foresight and ambition for their town to launch an international competition for the design of an urban park which would be comparable to the contemporary parks of other regional towns such as Montpellier and Lyon.
