New European Bauhaus Prizes

Initiative title

Development of downtown Descartes

Full initiative Title

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Please provide a short, catchy description of your initiative to be used in communication towards the public.

In order to boost local commerce and the attractiveness of the city center while making pedestrians safer in their commercial activities, the Descartes Town Hall wanted to study the redevelopment of the Descartes city center in its structuring projects for the year 2025.

Where was your project implemented?

France

If relevant, please indicate the address of the initiative

Downtown Descartes
37 160 DESCARTES

Please indicate the current stage of development of your concept

Prototype level

Has an infrastructure element or public space been identified?

Yes

Has political support for the project been secured?

Yes

Is there a commitment (current or future) to involve partners, end users, and other relevant stakeholders through a participatory or co-creation approach?

Yes

Has your initiative benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?

Has your initiative won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?

Please select the main municipality submitting the application: Applicants must pick only one option.

37115: Descartes (FR)

Please select all associated authorities if relevant

Authority: 37115: Descartes (FR)

Please provide a summary of your initiative, outlining the overall aim, target group(s), specific objective(s) and expected outcomes.

The objective is to improve the accessibility of shops, pedestrian traffic (especially for the elderly) and link the city center to the greenway located just at the bottom of Rue du Commerce.

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with 5 key words.

Pedestrian

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words

Shops

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words

Urban planning

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words

Rainwater

Please indicate the main themes of your initiative with key words

City center

Please describe key objectives of your initiative in terms of sustainability and how these have been/will be met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.

The project will leave significant room for green spaces in order to reduce the heat in the squares. Rainwater harvesting is one of the project’s many objectives.

Please describe the key objectives of your initiative in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.

Rue du Commerce is a long straight line. we must “break” this image by making this street a welcoming street. In addition, this will connect Rue du Commerce with our many green spaces (Passage Chabrier), the greenway and the Creuse, a very romantic river. Green frame / blue frame.

Please describe the key objectives of your initiative in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the initiative can be exemplary in this context.

This is a very important point. It is not normal that a woman with a stroller cannot move freely in the city center. It is not normal for an elderly person to hesitate to do their shopping in the city center because the sidewalks are dangerous and prefers to go to the supermarket next door. These people must reclaim the city center.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the initiative and civil society have been/will be involved in the initiative and what has been/will be the impact of this involvement on the initiative

The project is above all for residents and businesses. The population of Descartes is an elderly population. Accessibility to certain businesses is very difficult. In addition, the sidewalks in the city center are very narrow, it is hard for a woman with a stroller for example. Consultation meetings will be organized before the start and during the work.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and implementation of the initiative.

We have a partnership with ADAC37 which provides services to the department of Indre-et-Loire and which helps us carry out the project by giving advice on architecture and heritage.

Please explain which disciplines and/ or knowledge fields have been or are being reflected in the design and implementation of your initiative. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was

This is a very important point. We could have simply chosen an urban planner, but the choice was made to take a multidisciplinary team. It will cost more, but the success of this project depends on it. There is an urban planner, but who will have to be accompanied in particular by a structural design office, a design office in charge of mobility. Skills in rainwater harvesting are also required. The town center of Descartes has historic monuments, the architecture and heritage services of the department of Indre-et-Loire will obviously be associated with the project.

Please highlight the innovative character of the initiative, when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the initiative

We started to do a study of the heat in the city center. We imagined the feeling in the city center on a very hot day. We did the same study imagining that the planned work will be completed.

Please describe the methodology or approach used or being use in your initiative.

Icetool study (the study will be attached)

Please describe which elements of your initiative could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.

Today, many town center redevelopments in neighboring towns are similar and you get a strange feeling when you visit the region because all the centers look the same. By working with a multidisciplinary team, we hope for an imagination, an astonishment when we visit the city of Descartes. We want tourists to come and see the birthplace of Réné Descartes, but not only that... there is also a very beautiful garden, the Creuse, beautiful churches and in the near future, a beautiful city center!

Please explain what kind of global challenges the initiative addresses by providing local solutions

Two very important points in global issues were taken into account: rainwater recovery and urban heat.

Please describe the activities planned for the further development and implementation of your initiative, and how the NEB values and working principles have been incorporated so far. Additionally describe what are the expected steps to implement the initiative according to the NEB values and principle.

We believe that our project respects the 3 inseparable values of the NEB: sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics. We would be very honored to be selected by your services and we will not fail to publicize your help during the municipal council, in the regional press, on Facebook and the city's website.

Please attach at least 6 high resolution images or visual representations of your initiative to your application.

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