Context
The Gabut wasteland, an iconic location in the old port of La Rochelle, is now frequented by graffiti artists and residents of all generations who come to meet and engage in various sports activities. The area holds great potential, and several development projects have been proposed (including a hotel complex, a cultural center, and a summer café), but none have achieved consensus among the population. The City of La Rochelle ultimately decided to involve residents of the metropolitan area in the development of a civic project for the site by launching a large-scale public participation initiative: “Dessine-moi… Un Gabut !”
53 socio-professional actors from the Gabut area and 25 citizens participated in the public participation process
Over 12 months, 976 survey questionnaires, 4 workshops, and 2 public meetings culminated in a citizen proposal
A civic project for the future of the 5 historical buildings on the site for use by local associations, aimed at intergenerational activities, with part of the usage remaining free
Our mission
Lisode was selected to support and enhance the skills of a project team of 5 staff members and an elected official in preparing for the public participation process. To this end, 5 training modules were interspersed with ongoing work with the project team, during which more than 900 contributions from residents were synthesized and then passed on to a group of local actors. This group formulated points of concern based on this feedback, which was then presented to a diverse group of 25 citizens recruited to finalize the project for the occupation of Gabut. The citizen group worked three times on the key aspects of the project, guided by the principles of public interest and adherence to the stringent regulatory constraints of the site (flood-prone area, historical buildings, etc.). Two public events opened and closed the process, with follow-up evaluation conducted by Lisode and the project team.
Impacts and results
An ambitious and comprehensive roadmap was proposed by the citizen group to the municipal team, aimed at preserving a space open to residents. The project involved the rehabilitation of 4 of the 5 existing buildings for use by local associations and for intergenerational activities, part of which would remain free. The citizen group also expressed the desire for residents to be involved in the management of the site.
On July 1, 2024, the municipal council approved the decision for the City, its Mixed Economy Property Company, and a yet-to-be-identified concessionaire to collaborate on rehabilitating the buildings on the site and ensuring the activities at Gabut align with the citizen project. The programming of events will be overseen by a dedicated Commission that includes representatives from the “Dessine-moi un Gabut” citizen group.
