Ambition The plan must finance ecological transition projects and help bring back traders
The government no longer wants town centers deserted in favor of large commercial areas. (illustration) — B. Poussard/20 Minutes
Our city centers will change their face. “To continue to adapt to climate change and revitalize our municipalities, the President of the Republic wanted us to leave with a similar envelope of at least 5 billion euros. It will be released in four years, between 2022 and 2026, and will finance renovation projects in 234 medium-sized towns,” said Caroline Cayeux, Minister Delegate for Local authorities, in an interview with Le Parisien this Sunday.
This envelope will constitute the second part of the “Action cœur de ville” which was translated, during Macron’s first five-year term, by the mobilization of five billion euros to revitalize the centers of 222 municipalities with between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. The towns of Colmar, Briançon, Bastia, Bayonne or Limoges had notably been retained. According to the Minister, this first component made it possible to finance “6,500 actions” in these towns with the aim of bringing people and businesses back to the deserted town centers.
“I don’t want people to talk about ugly France anymore !”
According to Caroline Cayeux, the additional five billion should make it possible to lead to their completion of “not yet completed” but also to launch ecological transition projects, in particular by allowing municipalities to “green their town centres” and fight against “heat lots”. “We must also do energy-saving work in public buildings and schools,”explains the former mayor of Beauvais, also wishing that the city entrances are embellished.
“ At first glance, you have to have a crush when you enter a city,” she pleaded, adding: “I don’t want people to talk about ugly France anymore!” ;”. Recently, the Senate had assessed the “heart of the city” by sharing the positive feedback from the mayors questioned, while pointing out certain limits relating in particular to the “Local goals not always clear.”