It is called “parc” des Chantiers but does not have much of a garden. In Nantes, the vast pedestrian zone extending from the Machines de l’île to the gray crane, at the western tip of the island of Nantes, is at the heart of the reflections. It must be said that this 15-hectare space, managed by the Voyage to Nantes via a delegation of public service, has evolved in a few decades. Formerly a hotspot for shipbuilding, it has turned into a tourist, cultural, heritage and event area, but also into a housing park since 3,000 inhabitants are expected in the long term on this portion of the island, also frequented by the Great Elephant. .
In the coming years, the Voyage à Nantes wishes to “give it its own identity” while preserving these multiple facets. And the stakes are numerous, starting with the revegetation of this rather mineral area, which should begin next winter with the aim of “making a certain number of sectors more pleasant, especially in periods of high heat. »
Reduce flow, improve security
“There is also a real subject on accessibility, and the flows that will have to be reduced, adds Stéphanie Braka, in charge of the project at VAN. Work on pedestrian and cycle continuity but also on a system to limit delivery vehicles, with a single point on the site for all traders and scooters for the question of the last kilometer. This point is all the more important as the tram will soon pass along Boulevard Léon-Bureau, with long works planned to start in April 2024.
Until then, another priority is always to improve security on this site, which sees more than 2.6 million people pass through on average per year, and in particular at night. After improvements in terms of lighting and the creation of platform agents, four mediation professionals have been dedicated to this district since the beginning of May, from Thursday to Saturday between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. A “park warden” has also been recruited to watch over the site during the day.