As part of the “My ideas for my neighborhood” operation, several developments will be carried out in the Minimes district in Toulouse. Among them: the planting of trees, the transformation of the Place Amat Massot or the revegetation of the Square de la Vierge Rouge.
Eight million euros. This is the amount that the City of Toulouse has allocated to the participatory budget “My ideas for my neighborhood“. As a reminder, the inhabitants were called upon to submit proposals to improve their place of life. 1600 projects had thus been proposed. They were then pre-selected by local residents, subjected to a technical skills analysis and then to the vote of the inhabitants.
Finally, 83 projects will be carried out. In the 3.1 Minimes / Barrière de Paris / Ponts-Jumeaux district, four proposals will be implemented for a total budget of 380,000 euros. They will see the light of day “in the two years” to come. Indeed, the town hall does not give a precise timetable. These projects all concern the “nature in the city” category. Here are the amenities that are planned.
Plant trees in the Minimes district
The first idea proposes to “plant trees and shared gardens wherever possible” at Les Minimes. “Why not “requisition” all the accessible plots of land and plant trees, flowers, vegetables there and leave it to the people of the neighborhood to maintain it”, suggests the one who submitted the project. According to him, this could “up to the city to maintain lower temperatures, reduce our consumption, make the city more beautiful” and “harvest fruits and vegetables”.
The town hall of Toulouse considers that this idea is “feasible in public spaces”. “It will be necessary to work in partnership with neighborhood associations on citizen greening projects to find suitable sites”, specifies the City, also favorable to food crops. “This idea can be part of the creation of a shared garden, particularly in the context of the upcoming redevelopment of the Bourbaki district”, she envisages. The budget for this project will be 20,000 euros.
Complete transformation of Place Amat Massot
There will be change place Amat Massot. The second proposal plans to transform it into “a square of greenery, bring back plant and animal biodiversity, (re)make it a place of life and meeting”. For the project leader, it “lacks maintenance. It is mainly a source of illegal parking, the floor and furniture are dilapidated, and it is regularly invaded by waste and dog excrement, which makes this space unpleasant, underused and squatted”.
The town hall is not against this project which represents a budget of 200,000 euros. “A study can be carried out by the competent municipal and metropolitan services to transform this space into a square of proximity by granting meeting spaces between neighbors and by affirming its vegetal character”, she explains. The municipality adds: “A consultation would then be induced with the bearer of the idea, the neighborhood associations and the inhabitants of the neighborhood concerned”.
Nesting boxes or nest traps against mosquitoes
The inhabitants of the Minimes district can no longer take mosquitoes. Indeed, the third winning project proposes to “distribute bat nest boxes that residents can install in their homes” to fight against these insects. “The mode of operation would be similar to the distribution of composters already in place”, recommends the person who submitted this proposal with a budget of 60,000 euros. The town hall of Toulouse however expresses some reservations vis-à-vis this project.
“Bat nest boxes are less relevant because bats have a crepuscular or even nocturnal activity, and tiger mosquitoes bite particularly during the day, in fact they are not the most effective predators to fight against these mosquitoes”, explains the city. She thus proposes as an alternative implement nest traps “because they intervene in a key and unavoidable stage of the life cycle of the tiger mosquito and are specific to this species”.
Revegetation of the Square de la Vierge Rouge
Finally, the last proposal, which recorded 58 votes, asks to vegetate the square of the Red Virgin. The inhabitant behind it deplores the fact that this square is “a small empty space in the middle of the roads”. “Would it be possible to vegetate it? Less pollution ! And it beautifies the city. A nice little green space, to embellish vehicles, concrete and tar,” suggests the project leader. The municipality agrees with this idea. But there are a few constraints to consider.
“The Square de la Vierge Rouge is a place that can be de-waterproofed and revegetated. It is possible to make landscaping with plants dry environments suitable for this site”, she explains. Indeed, many networks are present under the square and allow to plant only low plants. “A geolocation of the networks will be necessary to draw the project and validate the type of plants to be installed”, announces the town hall which mobilizes 100,000 euros for this project.