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From: TT
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1 of 4 | Photo: Yann Gachet / City of Poitiers / TT
Ilot Tison Park is a place for walks, naps and picnics by the water in Poitiers, in western France. Now the city will be even greener.
Inconvenient and unpopular, but necessary. That’s how 30-year-old mayor Léonore Moncond’huy describes the decision to close the airport in his western French city.
– You have to dare to ask the tough questions to really fight climate change.
For 43 years, Poitiers was ruled by a socialist. But this summer, Léonore Moncond’huy put an end to him, as the youngest mayor of the environmental party Europe Écologie – Les Verts (EELV) in France.
And Moncond’huy has wasted no time in its promise to make Poitiers a more sustainable place for the future.
– The city should not only be greener, but completely green, he tells TT by phone.
– Every decision must take into account its impact on climate and biodiversity. This applies to everything from transportation and urban planning to education and social policy.
Green Wave
After the 2014 local elections, the EELV only had power in Grenoble. But this year, the party not only managed to stay there, but also took over the mayoralties of cities such as Annecy, Besançon, Bordeaux, Lyon, Poitiers and Strasbourg and be part of the majority government in Paris and Marseille.
Never before have the Greens achieved such great success at the polls in local elections. It made many people talk about a green wave, even a tsunami.
In Poitiers, the incumbent mayor of the Socialist Social Democratic Party received 35.6 percent of the vote, while Moncond’huy received 42.8 percent.
– I think society is ready for a real change. People want an organic approach to permeating everyday life, which shows in their food choices, he says.
– But local elections and mayors are also the ones that are closest to people’s daily lives. And I think that explains the green wave of summer.
Young city
Poitiers is the second oldest university city in France, which also makes it young. About 30 percent of the nearly 90,000 residents are students. Otherwise, the city is especially famous for the Notre-Dame-la-Grande church and the medieval city center.
One of Moncond’huy’s first decisions after taking a seat at City Hall in July was to suspend construction that was not deemed smart enough for the weather. It is an approach that will apply to all construction projects in the future and is part of a vision to slow urban sprawl and protect agricultural land.
– We have not stopped them forever, but we want to improve them, says Moncond’huy.
– It is important to us that our buildings, like our other political projects, are respectful of the climate. But we have also said no to plans to build a shopping center on the outskirts of Poitiers. We want to invest in small businesses and in the local economy.
All houses built must be energy positive, water use must be reduced and waste management must be better. Soon, projects will also be launched to replant land in the city and open an educational center where children acquire environmental awareness by coming into greater contact with nature in the early years. Additionally, municipality employees have learned more about climate issues as a way to establish a common culture and understanding of the policy they want to follow from the mayor’s office.
It focuses on public transport
A long-term goal is for all residents to have a sustainable alternative to cars. This means more investments in buses and trains, but also the less popular political proposal:
Moncond’huy and his staff have decided to close the airport.
The decision was preceded by a public debate in which the economic arguments and the importance of being able to attract tourists to environmental and climatic aspects were contrasted. Getting people on the train requires skill in how proposals are presented and not only describes what is missing but also the alternative, says Moncond’huy.
– Climate-friendly measures can be received very negatively if you don’t take the time to explain why a certain decision is made. If residents don’t feel understood, it can backfire, making information and education the key to success.
The airport is quite small but it consumes a large part of the city’s budget, according to the mayor.
– Then I asked the neighbors what they wanted to spend the municipal money on. Many soon realized that airplanes are something they rarely use, unlike buses and trains, Moncond’huy says.
– It was still a difficult decision to make, because it was not popular with everyone. But it’s the right way to go if you really want to get serious about the weather.
You want to build trust
Moncond’huy was the main name on the electoral roll of the Poitiers Collective, which brings together people of different political origins and whose programs are based on three pillars: environment, democracy and social justice. The hope is to offer something new in a France where contempt for politicians is widespread.
– Many don’t even vote. That is why it is important to generate a new trust between politicians and voters. And that requires renewal, says Moncond’huy.
– My team and I are young. We represent the generation for whom the environment is not primarily about political ideals, but that we have a future to talk about.
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