### By Jean-Christophe Levassor,  
Director of La Condition Publique



 

 

 



Le Pile in east Roubaix has been particularly hard-hit by the industrial and fi nancial crisis. Over 40% of the neighborhood’s residents live under the poverty line (€642 a month for a person living alone). Social divisions are clear to see and recreating spaces where people can interact and make contact with each other is a key challenge in building resilience for the future. These social divisions will become worse without a proactive policy to combat them, and may be further exacerbated by the digital revolution. If nothing is done to restore harmonious co-existence in the community, positive initiatives such as urban farming and zero waste will never have an effect beyond a limited circle of insiders.

Located in this deprived neighborhood, La Condition Publique is a creative laboratory at the crossroad between art, culture and the imperatives of urban renewal and sustainability. Its aim is to recreate ties and spaces between different actors across the territory – residents, nonprofits, businesses, etc. – to support urban renovation and foster resilience.



 

 

 



 

 

  [  ![Strengthening social ties in vulnerable cities](/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/styles/default/public/image/2019/03/03-04%20Strengthening%20social%20ties%20in%20vulnerable%20cities_Page_1.jpg.webp?itok=D3kPpm6m)  ](https://www.institut.veolia.org/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/document/2018/12/03-04_Strengthening_social_ties_in_vulnerable_cities.pdf)  



[Read the article](https://www.institut.veolia.org/sites/g/files/dvc2551/files/document/2018/12/03-04_Strengthening_social_ties_in_vulnerable_cities.pdf)



 

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 





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  Download Resilient cities - The Veolia Institute Review N.18  (4.06 MB)  

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