Finally, if all Strasbourg residents have heard of it, fewer are those who can say exactly what it is. The Strasbourg green belt, “we talk about it a lot without being able to specify where it is, it is in the imagination of Strasbourg residents, but it is not necessarily “very green”. It is also true that it is difficult to identify on the ground”, recognizes Suzanne Brolly, deputy mayor in charge of the resilient city. But one thing is certain, this green lung of Strasbourg is celebrating its 100th anniversary and many events are planned to celebrate it.
The city has indeed the project to enhance it, to “consolidate this bioclimatic belt to face environmental challenges, to strengthen a nourishing belt, but also a belt of walks, leisure and historical and natural heritage”, assures Jeanne Barseghian , mayor of Strasbourg. The community even aims to extend it in the years to come, from 809 hectares currently to 1,400.
Protected by law since 1922
For the time being, it is geographically a “loop” around Strasbourg, crossing 14 of the 20 districts of the city and 17 kilometers long and more than 500 meters wide. It includes walks, parks and garden city, rivers, but also a strip of land which, for about 7 km, runs along the south of Neudorf. This Green Belt, which has been forged around Strasbourg over time, has fulfilled various functions: military protection, breeding ground, health shield, land reserves… Today it is a reservoir of biodiversity, protected by law since 1922.
A centenary therefore which is above all an opportunity for the ecological municipality to offer various events and activities around nature in the city, town planning, discoveries, heritage, but also to push for this revaluation.
A climate shield
After significant mapping work, a reflection has been carried out since the fall of 2020 by the community, associations and institutions such as ADEUS, VNF, CTS… with the aim of making it known to the general public, to rethink it. and to protect its future, in particular from land temptations. Because for the time being, 40% of the Green Belt is made unavailable by the artificialization of the soil, in particular by car parks, land.
The idea is also to connect all the parks, green spaces, play areas and promenades to each other to have a network that is easily accessible from each district, to make it easy to walk around it and thus form a real climate shield. Soil dewatering, revegetation, banks and waterways, urban agriculture and gardening, preservation area, walking and cycling routes, the list goes on.
A long-term task that has already begun with the limitation and supervision of past and future construction projects so that they are “compatible” with the Green Belt. This is already the case for certain major projects which have been “reoriented” such as Archipel 2 at Wacken, Deux-Rives, the Meinau stadium.