What will the Strasbourg Christmas market look like in the future? At the call of the town hall, fifty people drawn by lot have been working on the issue since last summer. Before giving their opinion, Wednesday evening. It includes 32 avenues for development, which will now be analyzed by the city organizing the event, for a final response expected next March.
“We expect our efforts to be recognized and our recommendations to be taken into consideration and implemented”, has already announced the citizen jury, whose main proposals can be summarized in several points.
The first is a clear call for the decentralization of the Christmas market. It started during this edition but an acceleration is recommended, “well beyond the Big Island”. The 50 refer in particular to the “implementation of homelessness as a priority in neighborhoods where there is no activity” and calls for greater reliance on associations in these different corners of the Alsatian capital.
Still in the process “to encourage all Strasbourg residents to reclaim the event”, marches with lanterns are mentioned. “whose manufacture would be ensured by the children” of the city. In the same sense, “inviting a region of France” in addition to or in parallel with the usual foreign country invited is mentioned. Just like the creation of a “Christmas Museum” where “craftsmanship” could be promoted, “demonstrations” organized and “the historical evolution of Christmas traditions” exposed.
More entertainment for children?
The second main point of the jury’s recommendations is related to the products to be sold on the Christmas market. Citizens want to “give more importance to local craftsmen”. They would even like at least one out of two chalets to be occupied by a creator “from the Grand-Est”. But would this prevent bad purchases? This is why specifications on the issues of quality and sustainability” should be launched according to them. And for visitors to see it, “logos” could be affixed to the coats of arms of exhibitors: one “homemade”, another “local origin” and finally a last one for “sustainable products”.
And the children in all this? The 50 deplore that “visitors [aient] a difficulty in finding activities and stands for the youngest”. To remedy this, they recommend “strengthening the event offer”, “creating chalets with child-sized displays” or even “creating dedicated areas” for them in squares, with “lights, music, decorations”.
“Leaving the city center”
The third point concerns a spatial reorganization of the event in order to “better distribute the flows”. The jury thus considers that it is “a priority to unclog Place Broglie” or, for example, to reorganize Place de la Cathédrale. To encourage visitors to go elsewhere, “leave the city center and go to the markets and events in other districts and municipalities of the Eurometropolis”.
Finally, the citizens call for “limiting the ecological and energy impact of the event”. How ? By reducing “the production of waste”, “the intensity of lighting” and by setting up “a meter in the public space which counts the energy savings made”. Not on a bright screen since the jury wants to “ban” those of the City. Who will now have to choose and decide among all these tracks.