09 Quartier Libre

Number of votes

321 (134 online/187 paper)

1. The project in a nutshell

We propose redeveloping and restructuring street space to encourage social interaction.

2. The Project’s Objective

With this in mind, Rue du Jura is becoming a social living space, available to residents who want to create new ways of coming together. The project creates a new space for greenery, bringing oxygen and nature to the heart of the city through participatory gardens. It fosters conversation, laughter, and play; helps reclaim the space previously occupied by street drug dealers; reduces incivility; and protects residents from cars. As a tool for reclaiming the street, the proposed project is being implemented for and by the residents to help them reconnect with this street that brings them together. It is part of a broader effort to redevelop public space by challenging the role of the automobile. The space thus freed up is designated as a meeting place (20 km/h) for neighborhood residents and a welcoming space for passing pedestrians. As a breeding ground for social interaction, managed by the residents themselves, the project defines the “Quartier Libre,” on which the neighborhood’s quality of life depends. The simplicity of the system allows it to spread to other streets in the neighborhood through replication.

3. The Project in Detail

The project involves replacing 7 parking spaces (on the west side of Rue du Jura) with a wooden deck that incorporates several elements, such as benches, seating areas, planting beds, gathering spots, spaces for bicycles, play areas for children, and trash cans for waste management. Called “Platto,” this design adapts to the street’s layout and building entrances, residents’ needs, and safety requirements. Without altering the sidewalks or the existing infrastructure, the system is reversible. The streets within the block are designated as a shared space with a speed limit of 20 km per hour. Residents actively use the system—which replaces the seven eliminated parking spaces—and maintain it. Drug dealers have left, residents have rediscovered a spirit of dialogue and sharing, trash has disappeared, and dog waste has become less common.

4. The amount requested to carry out the project

15,000 CHF

• Communication costs: 1,500 CHF

• Operating Costs: 13,000 CHF

• Other expenses: 500 CHF

5. Neighborhood(s)

Maupas}

6. The Association

Free Neighborhood