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Rethinking the city... |
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La Rochelle's conurbation is known for its "quality of life".
The reason lies in part in the climate and the beauty of its stonework.
However, this reputation is also the fruit of long-standing commitment, stemming from a will
to place the human element - the population - at the centre of a balanced, protected,
and enhanced environment and to ensure integrated, sustainable development for the conurbation.
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Urban ecology is a concept that
did not exist 30 years ago, when La Rochelle
created the first pedestrian area in France or signed the first "classified
site" document to protect the city centre's architecture, or
when its Mayor, Michel Crépeau, decided to halt construction in Villeneuve-les-Salines.
The development, initially programmed to provide housing for a population
of 20,000, was ultimately modified and now houses 10,000 people, whose
children can play in the still wild Tasdon marsh, which was saved
from the bulldozers. Ever since 1971, La Rochelle and the surrounding
area frequently played a pioneering role. Here was invented the free
yellow bike loan scheme in 1976, followed by Autoplus, a public transit
system integrating alternative modes of conveyance (bikes, boats,
electric cars). Early on, promoting the
electric vehicle became one of the
conurbation's priorities. The
car-free day has been another of its achievements. It is the only
French city today to experiment in the delivery of goods by electric-powered
commercial vehicles. City buses run on Diester biofuel, and the campgrounds
are equipped with solar water heating. The city began monitoring air
quality 30 years ago, and works on the quality of the water as well.
Its environment charter attests
to its ongoing commitment. |
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