Appropriation des espaces publics à Saint-Léonard : enjeux et solutions, en photo

For over a decade, Saint-Léonard, with its predominantly Italian population, has been undergoing rapid demographic change, due to the migration of families from North African, Middle Eastern and Latin American countries. This new socio-demographic and cultural composition raises issues and tensions concerning the use and sharing of public spaces. Our research project draws on theories of social space production and space appropriation to understand these issues in Saint-Léonard. We show that young people explain their lack of interest in the few facilities available to them as overused and lacking in variety. While there are no overt tensions between older and younger people in parks (where the groups don’t cross paths), minor tensions have been observed elsewhere, notably behind businesses, in cul-de-sacs, shopping centers and parking lots (coveted by all generations). Perceived as deviant by authority figures, young people’s activities (smoking, drinking, eating and listening to music) in places deemed unsuitable for them reflect the lack of social, cultural and community activities, as well as the lack of spaces and infrastructures designed for this age group, which is increasingly present in Saint-Léonard. Citizens seem inclined to denounce what are interpreted as uncivil acts when committed by young people in places deemed inappropriate, exposing the challenges of intergenerational rather than intercultural cohabitation. In Saint-Léonard, the question of how to live together is on the agenda, and calls for changes both in planning and in the political and socio-community spheres.