Back to Villeneuve – Introduction to field work
by Mailys Toussaint & Théo Marchal
The Villeneuve of Grenoble was created as a new center of Grenoble during the 70’s by a pluridisciplinary agency of urbanism and architecture named AUA (Atelier d’urbanisme et d’architecture). This urban project, significantly conceived as a social and physical utopia, have producted an atypique and complex neighbourhood, with its qualities and issues. Today concerned by a massive rehabilitation program, this neighbourhood and its inhabitants daily life are changing.
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Translation :
The Villeneuve of Grenoble was created as a new centrality of Grenoble during the 70’s by a pluridisciplinary agency of urbanism and architecture named AUA (Atelier d’urbanisme et d’architecture). This urban project, significantly conceived as a social and physical utopia, have producted an atypique and complex neighbourhood, with its qualities and issues. Today concerned by a massive rehabilitation program, this neighbourhood and its inhabitants daily life are changing.
Translation :
- Villeneuve is much bigger than your field of study for today.
- 1960s: expansion of Grenoble (to fit the growing demography)
- 1964/1968: first neighbourhood built (cf. Olympic games – Olympic village)
- AUA: Agency of Urbanism and Architecture (Paris)
- Centre of the massive area: Grand’Place
- Long-term construction program
- Field study: Arlequin + “Place des Géants” (around 20 ha)
- Building of the Arlequin: the Gallery under the building is the main point
- They wanted to draw everything back to the gallery, conceive like a main pedestrian street. (equipment, etc.)
- On the sides of the Arlequin (one side – parking lots – other side – park)
- Back in the day, there was footbridges connecting the parking lots to the building.
- Gallery = heart (place for social life)
- Coursive = passageway/corridor in the inside of the Arlequin
- Ongoing urban renewal (2013) – reconnect the neighbourhood to the main area (the Arlequin is perceive like a wall against the other neighbourhoods)
- One part of the Arlequin is demolished (50 Arlequin)
- Redevelopment of the place in front of the building
- Scaffold – might be the beginning of the second phase of the urban (might be from the demolition process) renewal/renovation
- Rehabilitated places/buildings/portions
- Second phase: 2015
- Rehabilitation of two part of the building
- Goal: security, improvement of social diversity
- Most of the project was already secured when the residents/dwellers were involved via consultation. Controversy.
- Wave of surveys.
Questions?
Question 1: Want to encourage social diversity & demolition – what was the problem?
Answer: Too long to maintain for social landlords. Inside degradations. Young people squatting the staircases, fires.
Diversity: bigger bedrooms, adaptation to the new inhabitants/places. Attractive prices.
Lots of people are leaving.
Question 2: One building demolished made people unhappy, but another made them happy, so what is it?
Answer: Different ways of thinking. Not one main opinion.
Remark 3: Political/social background for the project. The inhabitants were supposed to stay put, and the housing was supposed to be upgraded and improved.
Translation by Sophie Provost