Only the noise of the ring road reminds us that we are very close to the city. This March morning, the sun is shining on the 3.7 hectare plot of the Bois des Anses farm, located between Nantes and Sainte-Luce-sur-Loire (east of the agglo) and bordered by the stream of Aubiniere. In her large greenhouse installed in January, where beautiful salads are already coming out, Laura Guillemot prepares for spring, out of sight. “The courgette heads are ready, we have planted the garlic and the shallots outside, lists the 35-year-old organic market gardener. This summer, we’ll have melon, watermelon, peppers… I’m ready for my first real season! »
All around, in the future Doulon-Gohards district (which goes as far as the Place du Vieux-Doulon), an impressive construction site is also starting. The installation of this surprising urban farm, like that of the Alouette-rit not far from there, is one of the first steps in the new face that the sector will take on by 2035. There are a few days, the municipal council has also voted heavy investments, in order to build a school group of 16 classes (17.7 million euros), a gymnasium or a new crèche. Work on the water network has already begun, rue de la Papotière. Above all, this ZAC will see 2,700 housing units emerge from the ground, while advocating a unique approach called “fertile city”.
Bringing housing and nature together
“Of the 180, a hundred hectares [aujourd’hui impraticables ou dégradés] will be renatured, in this district historically linked to market gardening, explains Thomas Quéro, deputy in charge of town planning (PS) at the city of Nantes. The cursor of cohabitation between housing and nature has been pushed as far as possible. This is precisely what pleased Laura Guillemot, in retraining. “I wanted to be close to the city, to recreate this food culture which was lost with industrialization, to discuss with people what seasonality is…”, explains the farmer, selected by a jury to be able to install here. Already, customers can discover his universe and come and buy vegetables and herbs directly on site, on Wednesday and Friday evenings. Six restaurants in Nantes get their supplies from the Bois des Anses farm. Strawberry and raspberry pickings will soon be organized, and eventually the place could even host cultural events.
According to the town hall of Nantes, all four farms and their greenhouses will be completed by the end of 2022, when the first housing constructions (25% social housing, 30% affordable thanks to the real solidarity lease (BRS) and 45 % at free prices) could start. Still on the subject of housing, the city indicates that an integration site will be made available to Roma families, many of whom today have settled on abandoned wasteland. Finally, a “nomadic arts center” project, which will bring together around ten companies, is under study. We can get there via the parks and new cycle paths that will cross this future district.