A city is an ecosystem, connected to other cities through cooperation and exchanges. It is in cities that initiatives for urban regeneration are tested, while paying attention to everyone’s needs for emancipation and well-being. I am pleased to share and expand the network of these cooperations with other cities around the world.
Anne Vignot became the first female mayor of Besançon in 2020. Her background as a scientist and geographer, applied to archaeology to understand the settlement of human societies, along with her activism for environmental protection, led her into politics in 2010 to gain more means of action. Committed to social justice at both global and local levels, she advocates for it through various means, including climate justice, as environmental upheaval affects the most vulnerable citizens the hardest.
The gradual transformation of one of Besançon’s working-class neighbourhoods into an eco-district is a commitment to protect its 18,000 residents (out of the city’s 120,000) from fluctuations in energy prices, allowing them to live in renovated homes connected to the urban heating network and to other neighbourhoods by cycling paths and efficient public transport. New economic activities are being introduced, focusing on digital innovation, along with thermal renovation of local schools and the production of green electricity (photovoltaic), partly for self-consumption. The use of wood sourced from the city’s forests represents a means of empowerment and pride for the residents.
The role of a mayor is to enhance the well-being of its city’s residents. As healthy life expectancy declines, Besançon is committed to transforming and adapting the city to better support its inhabitants: reducing exposure to pollutants and noise, preserving biodiversity, combating heat islands, and addressing invasive species. Besançon’s sectoral policies, including the territorial climate air energy plan, the local health contract, and the plan to combat endocrine disruptors, are aligned with the resilience strategy and the territorial project of Besançon, all aimed at promoting the well-being and health of all living beings, both human and non-human.
Food is both a health issue and a lever to ensure environmentally respectful agriculture and support for farmers. The city of Besançon, by acting on its public procurement, has chosen to prepare school meals for children using locally produced foods, with a portion being organic. Seventy percent of the children’s meals meet high quality standards and are sourced nearby. This public procurement policy ensures fair prices for farmers, allowing them to earn a living from their essential work. This choice is complemented by a social pricing system to enable low-income families to access school canteens, which often means allowing women to pursue employment. This policy also includes taste education initiatives, encouraging children to enjoy quality food, helping to combat obesity and diabetes.