The «residentialisation» of public space

Transcription

1 Abitare in tempo di crisi: individui, pratiche sociali e spazio pubblico nelle città europee. Sapienza, Università di Roma, novembre The «residentialisation» of public space The challenge of individual and collective spacedwelling in a social-housing neighborhoods Benjamin Pradel Sociologist

2 The «residentialisation» in social-housing neighborhoods to solve french suburb crisis? The «residentialisation» process Means create "private collective spaces" (Panerai 2002) securised (grilles, door codes, gates, camera) to improve individual habitability around habitation unit It s a form of «gated community» focused on the inhabitants of a specific habitation unit but with an impact on near-home spaces also In France, residentialisation is applied since 10 years to solve problems of social-housing neighborhood : «french suburb crisis» by transforming the way to live in social habitation unit in a more private way The question is : how the residentialisation challenge the public spaces, resource for collective space-dwelling in social-housing neighborhood, while existing a crisis of living together?

3 Public spaces : ressource for individual and collective space-dwelling in social-housing neighborhood Living/dwelling abitare/habiter = the self-appropriation of a place The «space-dwelling» : the different spatial attitudes and situational practices coming from the relationship between the inhabitants and their neighborhoods and houses (Cailly, Dodier, 2007) Abitare = Individual and private spaces + collective and public spaces Hypothesis Public space would no longer be considered by people as a resource of space-dwelling in the city but as a problem The residentialisation projects reinforced the decline of public spaces as a resource to live together by encouraging individual and private space-dwelling

4 What are the representations of the public spaces coming from the inhabitant and local authorities allowing to develop «hard» residentialisation? Can we develop an intermediate point of view between open public spaces and closed private collective spaces to give back value to public spaces?

5 An hybrid experience between social research and consulting Role of public spaces in the space-dwelling s process in Les Saugeraies, «Zone Urbaine Sensible», 1400 inhabitants in the middle-size town of Mâcon in France (urban area : inhabitants.). Methodology Mixing consulting and social research in a team of Urban Project Management Support for a residentialisation project Taking part in the decision-making process of a residentialisation project. Conducting interviews with local stakeholders. Taking part to citizens participation actions and met with inhabitants and the local authorities.

6 Urban segregation and lack of habitability of public spaces in Les Saugeraies The degradation of the «habitability» of public spaces : Habitability = ability of public spaces to be lived and occupied in an individual and collective way at the same time. Decline is linked with a globlal crisis of urban french suburb because of spatial and social segregation Les Saugeraies, reflection of socal segradation 36% of unemployment (Mâcon : 9,7%) 66% of non taxable household (Mâcon : 41%) 50% of inhabitant have less than 29 years. 25% of single-parent family 51% of people with no degree Old people with high income Working people Intermediate district High precarity

7 Spatial effect of social segregation : problematic appropriation of public space People denounced the illegal and illegitimate practices of young people in the public space The feeling of a generational crisis «The young is a problematic group» WRONG! They are not an homogeneous group. The feeling of an economic crisis «Drug-dealers are sons of inhabitant» WRONG! Older dealers come from other part of the city. The feeling of an ethnic crisis «Delinquents are not french» WRONG! They are french natives. Part of the socio-spatial diagnostic

8 Spatial segregation in french urban suburbs has social effect Few public intervention on public spaces since 1980 = few uses of public spaces Spatial segregation of Les Saugeraies 86% of block building before % of social housing Lack of local job / 0 shop. Far away from city center and separate by railway Only 2 bus lines with low frequencies The abandonment of public spaces by the authorities Oversized roads and parking An old urban design : «lost in (public) space»

9 The «residentialisation» of habitation unit To solve problems, the solution proposed by local authority is the «residentialisation» A first residentialisation project made 5 years before Other inhabitants are now jalous and want the same thing. A new «one million residentialisation project» The solution of a «hard» residentialisation Dividing open public space to securise habitation unit. «Clear frontier between habitation unit and public space» «Individual parking area» «Private and secured garden and terrasse» «Shared spaces inside the habitation unit»

10 From open, public and collective spaces to closed, private and individual spaces More secure habitation unit and semi-private collective spaces The other side of residentialisation The effects on publics spaces The effects on social life The hidden effects An attempt of 5 proposals in order to influence the public decision-making of «hard» residentialisation Towards a «soft» residentialisation to restaure the collective value of public spaces?

11 1. «Including the social-service-workers to the urban project» Thinking spatial solution AND social solution» The social-service-workers are located in the heart of Les Saugeraies They well know inhabitants and habits Proposals Short term : support them to become a social «watchman» of public spaces and a social link between inhabitants, school community, local authority, Police, young people, etc. Middle term : gathering social services in a new building in the center of the district to be more integrated and effective

12 2. «Transitional public spaces and uses» Between the short term of works, the middle term of the residentialisation of habitation units and the long term of the refurbishment of the whole district Idea : an open space to prefigure the future social-service building Project : an open space, managed by social-service-workers, into the résidential habitation unit, for collective and temporary uses Make residentialisation a common project Temporary uses (gardening, playing, social exchange, etc.) Decision : none but we still try to convince

13 3. «Soft appropriation of public spaces» Idea : improving the possibility for inhabitants to appropriate near-home public space in a pacific and shared way Project : making rules of collective ownership of habitation unit (condo) more flexible and giving inhabitants the power of defining and supervising the possible uses of public spaces = co-production of collective space-dwelling Decision : strong resistance from Local Authority LandLord who is afraid of loosing control

14 4. «Intermediary public spaces» Idea : thinking the permeability of frontier between public and private spaces Project : Visual and material ranking of spaces, from the most individual and private to the most collective and public one Symbolic frontiers allowing mutual visibility between public and private spaces Closed but unlocked doors Decision : too complex and too expensive, back to «hard» residentialisation High barriers «In railings we trust»

15 5. «Take care of good uses of public spaces» Idea : take care of existant uses of public spaces to prevent the potential conflict and give back value to a share public space (utopic?) From sauvage garagist activities to dedicated parking for scooters and for mechanical activites Project : fit public spaces with high quality equipements for all, located at the right place considering the point of view of inhabitants in a co-production process of the public area Decision : «we don t know how to do coproduction and we don t have the time before the next political elections» Dedicated areas «means new problems of social cohabitation» (vicious circle) From illegal, noisy, smelly bbq, too close to habitation, to bbq dedicated and equipped areas Thinking urban design for all generations : street equipments for young people («Street Workout»), children, old people

16 Thinking the process of residentalisation as a common project, giving back collective space-dwelling in public spaces at the scale of the whole district... Grazie per la vostra attenzione Benjamin Pradel Sociologist Mail. pradel.consultant@gmail.com N SIRET :