In large French cities there is an amplification of the protest against the large urban
projects, their capitalist logic and their consequences. These struggles provide more
opportunities for convergence between social fronts usually separated.
For example, the Ile-de-France, where the whole of the first ring is affected by the
establishment of "Greater Paris" and its many sites, against which the population is
mobilized, "Cluster" techno-industrial research on agricultural Saclay (92) Project Europa
shopping center City (Auchan) on agricultural triangle in Gonesse, business centers or
artistic creation on the Plaine Commune (93), construction Les Halles ... The whole is
"wrapped" considerable transportation construction in the form of several stations and
tram or subway, expected life easier for residents and inhabitants, and accompanied by an
intense propaganda as well as public inquiries and citizen consultations regularly pip?es.
In fact, it knows better than the Grand Paris, in its outside "requalification" of the
public space, "opening" and other propaganda arguments, is nothing but a vast control plan
stand in city centers. It seeks to attract economic agents of global capitalism
(executives, companies) making the country competitive, attractive, in a logic of market
valuation of the city. And of course it expels or pushes the poor even further centers,
and these projects are charged to all others. These phenomena (gentrification,
metropolisation), they are described by the sociologist Jean-Pierre Garnier or opponents
in Notre-Dame-des-Landes, are well received by the social movement: it is also at the
festival of resistance and alternatives in 2011 a first collective federation gave birth
to Costif, Coordination for the solidarity of the territories of ?le-de-France and against
the Grand Paris.
Federate resistance
The challenge now is to better network the collective people who are still struggling in a
dispersed manner. But beyond that, we must realize the huge potential of a front for the
"right to the city" against urbanization is at the crossroads of the most essential evils
of capitalist society planned destruction of cultivated land or preserved , land
speculation, the ongoing housing crisis, windfall contracts and other public-private
partnerships for multinational concrete and building, authoritarian setting up projects,
geographical exclusion of the poor, repression and placed under supervision of private
streets ... Activists spheres who face the consequences of these logics are on separate
fronts, and also have real political differences, but the example of Notre-Dame-des-Landes
[ 1 ] shows that term without falling into the pasting a broad convergence fear create
force off cooperation in the struggle against the capitalist urbanization.
Ecology Commission
[ 1 ] In previous articles we have described the similarities that cross both Zad that
collective local support NDDL.
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» France, enAlternative Libertaire AL #228 - Urbanism: Against the Grand Paris ... and beyond? (fr)