Energy Cities goes to Marseille
It happens to everyone: sometimes, we focus so
much on projects, policy files and deadlines that we forget to breathe, look
around, and talk with the ones next to us.
That is exactly the reason why the Energy
Cities’ team took the train to Marseille (France)
from July 2ndto the 4th. To learn and be inspired by
interesting local projects and discuss new activities…but also to have some
well-deserved fun and celebrate our most recent achievements (on the beach of
course).
On our first day, we visited Le Corbusier’s
“Cité
Radieuse“, nicknamed “La maison du fada” (literally, “the house of the
crazy man”) by some locals. They thought the architect had to be crazy to
imagine, in the early ‘50s, such an abnormal building…to envision a radically
new concept of a city. It was impossible not to think about the work we do,
showing that a renewables-powered energy system with the individual as its
centre is not a crazy idea, but an achievable future!
Meeting the local representatives
As Marseille is a member of Energy Cities, we could
not miss the opportunity to meet with local representatives. They welcomed us
in the Town Hall and presented some of their projects and initiatives to foster
the city’s energy transition. The most interesting one was definitely the work
the city is doing in the field of Legal Transition, together with the Bar of
Marseille. As Mr. Jean-Charles Lardic (Foresight Director) explained, many
local projects to make the city greener could not happen because of legal
barriers. The municipality decided to look into how the law should evolve to
address present and future challenges. We look forward to see the first results
of this work, which just started a year ago!
Inspiration time: the TALUS project
In the afternoon, we headed to the periphery of
the city, where the team of the TALUS project created a “jardin des fadas”, to
say it like the locals. Between cement constructions, the train tracks and a
skate park, two young social entrepreneurs decided to launch an urban farming
project in what used to be a landfill. They want to to do it all: sustainable
farming, trainings, cultural events, learning visits, catering…The seeds are
growing, people come to take care of their little lot but also to eat delicious
food and enjoy themselves. The list of partners is impressive, going from
public institutions such as Marseille Metropole to foundations and companies. A
sign that many believe a different type of farming is possible.
Our last day in Marseille was all about
strategizing and coming up with ideas for new activities to speed up a city-led
energy transition. The perfect conclusion to two days of inspiration and
learning. To discover what the “equipe des fadas” is planning for you next, I
guess you will have to wait and see!
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Fuente: ENERGY CITIES
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