Time passes but the pressure does not fall. Saturday March 12, the assembly of the inhabitants of Reynerie is mobilizing place Abbal against the demolition of the buildings of Mirail. “On January 14, 2022, we asked for an immediate moratorium on the destruction of low-cost housing in the districts of Bellefontaine, Reynerie at Mirail, noted this collective. Even if the rehabilitation of this district, within the framework of the renewal plan urban, it is already well underway”.

To hammer home their request, this assembly of inhabitants relies on the support of a collective of architects, who have put forward the renovation rather than the demolition of the historical heritage of Georges Candilis, who at the time represented “a real architectural revolution, admired throughout the world”.

Built in the 1970s, these buildings proved their solidity, particularly during the explosion of the AZF factory in 2001.

An even more astonishing situation: “in 2017, the public inquiry had concluded that demolitions had to be stopped and that renovations had been studied. In 2021, a second inquiry had agreed with the City of Toulouse unless the Local Plan of Town planning was challenged. Which is the case. Calling into question the demolitions of Mirail”.

Urban renewal

For the moment, some buildings slated for demolition still have tenants: 20 in the Gluck building, the same in the Dadi building and 17 in the Messager building.

The City defended its policy, “we rehabilitate twice as many dwellings as we destroy, explains Gaétan Cognard, delegate for city policy. At Mirail, 2,629 dwellings were renovated against 1,160 demolished. Each time, we we are trying to favor renovation, but in some cases this is not possible, especially when buildings no longer correspond to urban planning standards”. According to him, this urban renewal must “open up the neighborhood and promote social diversity”.

New developments: More space for pedestrians and bicycles

Nearly a hundred Toulousains attended Monday evening in the Salle des Illustres du Capitole, the presentation of the development project for the Left Bank / Right Bank routes. (see our file of Wednesday March 9).

A project intended to facilitate travel on foot or by bike between the 2 shores, and to connect existing or future cycle routes, in particular within the framework of the REV (express bike network). The ultimate goal is to calm traffic through better sharing of public space. The car remains present but not dominant for a decongested and carbon-free urban center. Priority is given to the east-west axis between Place Esquirol and the inner Place Saint-Cyprien via the Pont Neuf and the Rue de la République, but the development of the Rue and Pont Saint-Pierre as well as the Quai de All have also been deleted. The creation of a two-way cycle path from Esquirol to the interior Saint-Cyprien square with widening of the sidewalks, leads to a reduction in traffic lanes and rue de la République the elimination of parking and bus service. For Jean-Paul Bouche, mayor of the district, all these developments “are an opportunity for Saint-Cyprien to preserve its village character while depending on it in the city center”. Maxime Boyer, elected in charge of roads and new mobility, meanwhile assured “nothing is final, it is a basis for work and reflection”. It is in this perspective that after the presentation of the project, the participants grouped in different workshops were able to share their comments, concerns or suggestions. All Toulouse residents can also give their opinion and make proposals, until April 1, 2022, on the platform jeparticipe.toulouse.fr.