France’s National Commission for Public Debate will host a series of open discussions about the development of Bjarke Ingels’ Europa City masterplan; one of the largest ongoing leisure developments on the continent.

From 15 March to 30 June, Europa City’s developers and the commission will conduct a “real-time exchange and reflection” with residents of the Parisian suburbs close to the development site.

Professionals from the world of culture, tourism and urban planning will also be involved in the consultation process.

"EuropaCity is a dual scale project which is huge for Paris and its surroundings, while also having global appeal,” said EuropaCity director Christophe Dalstein. “Therefore, we wanted to involve all stakeholders and to drive, very early on, a genuinely participatory co-construction approach.

“This will open perspectives and help us understand the aspirations of the people. These public debates will be a time of sharing and collective intelligence."

Architects Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have designed Europa City to feature several zones: a ‘pop’ area with a theme park; a ‘zen’ area with an urban farm; a ‘sun’ area with a waterpark and hotel; a ‘xtrm’ area with a snow park; a ‘showbiz’ area with theatres and restaurants; and a ‘hype’ area with retail.

Ingels has described Europa City as a combination of “authentic, lively, dense urban environments and streetscapes with open landscapes which let in the sun and have long views, to create a new and interesting urban hybrid.”

Last year, Michael Collins, the senior partner of Leisure Development Partners (LDP) – which has been providing feasibility analysis for the scheme – told CLAD that the project reflects “the increasing importance of leisure as an anchor for retail and mixed-use schemes.”

Developer Alliages will begin construction in 2017 and the city is expected to open in 2024.

Leisure defines Bjarke Ingels’ Europa City masterplan