the essential
Urban meadows, these green spaces left fallow, annoy some Toulouse motorists who have difficulty seeing behind these wild grasses…
The wild grasses are tall, dense, yellowed by the sun. Since the start of spring, urban meadows have bloomed almost everywhere in Toulouse. These green spaces are deliberately left fallow by municipal services in order to leave more “room for nature and biodiversity”, explains Clément Riquet, deputy mayor.
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In parks and gardens, along the roadsides, nature reclaims its rights. “What we want is to mow the grass only where we need to do it. At the entrances to public gardens, around furniture, near certain monuments and, for safety reasons, at crossroads or roundabouts where weeds prevent good visibility. The residents must not find that it is dirty or that it is poorly managed,” specifies the elected official.
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Urban meadows will be mowed at the end of summer
In certain places, motorists denounce this lack of maintenance which, according to them, would be dangerous. “We find ourselves with green walls that prevent us from having visibility,” complains Hervé, from Toulouse.
“The shot will be corrected”
Clément Riquet recognizes that there can be disparities depending on the teams because “some do not do exactly what was expected”. The deputy mayor in charge of green spaces assures that next year, the “shot will be corrected”. “Thanks to a document, we will describe differentiated management as it must be applied in green spaces. In addition, a reform now gives neighborhood town halls more responsibilities. It will allow you to react more quickly. »
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Controversy: in Toulouse, urban meadows, a contested practice that has become the rule
In 2024, Clément Riquet has only received three complaints from residents on this subject. He is pleased with the good communication about urban meadows. “A survey carried out in the summer of 2022 among the population on how they perceived the maintenance of their green spaces demonstrated that the majority of Toulouse residents were in favor of this approach and that they adhere to this vision,” adds the elected official. .
Since the beginning of June, urban meadows have been mowed one after the other. The entire area will be cleared of weeds within a few days. This mowing prevents the risk of fire during periods of drought.
