Mayor Bruno Marchand “super inspired” by an eco-district of Lausanne

LAUSANNE | “Super inspired” by a guided tour in an eco-district of Lausanne, Switzerland, where different services are integrated, Bruno Marchand estimated, Wednesday, that we should carry out this type of development in Quebec.

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The immense Plaines-du-Loup eco-district, in the heart of Lausanne, is booming. Part of it has been built and has been inhabited for several years, while other phases of the megaproject, which involves the municipal administration and the private sector, are progressing smoothly.

In addition to housing, whether or not subsidized by public authorities, various services are found in this mini-city, such as a health clinic, a school or a café-restaurant. Through various ecological developments, the environmental impact of a resident of this eco-district is significantly lower than that of a resident of neighboring districts.

Cars are parked at the entrance to the site and, with some exceptions, are not allowed to enter. At the time of the passage of Journal, construction workers were busy and cranes were visible across the landscape.

Services to integrate

“I learned a lot about creating a neighborhood where we integrate everything that is important to citizens. In Quebec, we are creating neighborhoods where everything that is seen for health is seen as being separate. We put schools and sometimes we don’t put any…” described Mayor Marchand.

In his eyes, our conception of neighborhood life should instead integrate different services and leisure activities. “The citizen, in his neighborhood, needs services to live there and to be happy there. He doesn’t care if it’s the Ministry of Health, the City or the federal government [qui gère les équipements]. With these divisions, we have unstructured certain functions of the neighborhood to the detriment of the citizen.”

According to him, “the future is there with diversity [sociale]green spaces and with access to pedestrianized spaces. This vision of new neighborhoods, when we can do it, Quebec would benefit.”

The social fabric

Even though he has already publicly mentioned the possibility of building a car-free neighborhood in Quebec, Mayor Marchand has chosen this time to insist on the importance of “innovation” to create a real “social fabric” and “a neighborhood life” which contributes to the physical and psychological well-being of residents.

Before leaving for Paris, Bruno Marchand was treated to a private dinner on Wednesday with his counterpart from Lausanne, Grégoire Junod.

The latter emphasized “the common concerns” between the two cities in terms of health. “What we both fundamentally think is that cities do not have direct responsibility in matters of public health. We don’t run hospitals. On the other hand, the living environment and the way in which the city is developed have an obvious impact on health in the broad sense. We must create cities that promote physical activity and well-being,” he told Journal.