“Urban planning in the 60s led to a situation where, in cities, everyone ends up confined to a neighborhood: bourgeois neighborhood for some, housing projects for others… Today, the ANRU plan must correct this by reintroducing diversity into French cities.” This is how Christian Estrosi, president of the General Council, presented this new urbanization law. And he wants to show that the General Council is committed to social cohesion. With a laughable budget of €152,000 in 2001, social cohesion represents, at the General Council, €1.6 million in 2007.
Last year, Christian Estrosi set three main objectives to revitalize neighborhoods: “promote employment, promote equity, and support innovative associative projects.” Today, the ANRU law supports these projects. In the Alpes-Maritimes department, four neighborhoods are affected by this new urbanization law. First, three neighborhoods in Nice: Ariane, of course, whose urban planning will be reviewed in two stages, the Pasteur neighborhood, and the Moulins. This represents approximately 1,100 housing units that will be demolished and then rebuilt. And a total budget of more than €180 million over the next five years, half provided by the ANRU and the other half by the department. In addition to these neighborhoods in Nice, the historic center of Grasse is included. The president of the General Council has shown optimistic confidence: “We can enable better equality of opportunity in France,” he declared. “There are no ‘zones’ in France.”
Christine Boutin Ends Controversy with Fadela Amara
Optimistic herself, but not as much as Christian Estrosi, Christine Boutin extensively explained her view on urban policy. “The city is not just a sum of neighborhoods. Today, we must break the isolation of our cities. This requires renewed dialogue between the police and young people from the suburbs, but also through education, which must facilitate opening up to the outside and creating social bonds.” After having criticized the new urban planning scheme for the housing projects of her Secretary of State Fadela Amara, Christine Boutin wished to put an end to the controversy. “If city policy is not limited to suburban policy, that does not mean that a reflection on the suburbs is not essential.” She then added: “Young people from the suburbs, with their dynamism and ideas, are a chance for the country.”
“I chose to announce this plan here because I feel in tune with the actions of the department.” At these words, the minister was met with enthusiastic applause from the General Council. She also spoke on the issue of housing in city centers, particularly concerning slumlords and vacant housing. According to the minister, “it is in the city center where it is most urgent to act for housing policy.”
