A new summer initiative in Luxembourg City is temporarily transforming car-dominated or paved-over areas into lively "third spaces", where residents can meet, socialise, and participate in community activities.
This week, the project "Mäi Quartier, meng Plaz" – My Neighbourhood, My Space – was officially launched and invited locals to experience and help reimagine their neighbourhoods.
Nico Meyrer, president of the local residents' association, expressed his enthusiasm for the municipal project and said he hopes the temporary changes will become permanent. However, he explained that not all of their association's ideas were retained, even though something similar was already tried in 2022.
Back then, Serge Wilmes, now Minister for the Environment, played a key role in supporting the initiative. The planned redevelopment of Place de France has long been on the agenda, Meyrer added, and while it will mean the loss of some parking spaces, the association considers the redesign a priority.
Belair is one of four districts chosen by the city council for this experiment. Martine Nicolay, who oversees the My Neighbourhood, My Space initiative for Luxembourg City, points out that the project cannot succeed without the involvement of residents.
The project goes beyond simply offering food from the kiosk at Place de France, which is open for light meals from noon until 10pm. Local associations have been invited to organise a variety of activities, with the city offering its infrastructure as support.
Each district's programme is tailored to its community. In Bonnevoie, for example, the organisation Interactions is offering activities in front of the church, the Cinémathèque is screening films, and on the evening of 14 August, residents can look forward to a silent disco event with headphones provided.
In Cessange, the summer will feature a lively Irish dance night on 31 July. The residents' association and the city archives are also offering a guided tour to explore the district's history. Details can be found on posters at Place de Roedgen, next to the Cessange Park, and on the City of Luxembourg website.
Mayor Lydie Polfer emphasised that the city collaborates with residents' associations in every neighbourhood, as such projects can only succeed if residents embrace them by actively participating and attending activities.
Polfer explained that the four districts were selected based on insights from prior community events known as Aperi'Tours, and are considered a priority for transformation. The experience and feedback from this summer's project will directly inform the city's plans to redevelop these four neighbourhoods, she said.
While not every community request was accepted, many were taken seriously, according to the residents' associations. Mayor Polfer made it clear, however, that the redevelopment of Place de France is definitely going ahead, and could begin within one to two years.
A key feature of the redesign is that it will prioritise greenery. Temporary markings on the ground currently indicate where concrete will be removed and replaced by trees planted directly in the soil, rather than in plastic tubs, as Polfer explained.
The redevelopment plans in other districts will be coordinated with local businesses where relevant, but in Cents, which marks the fourth site of the My Neighbourhood, My Space project, there are no such businesses affected.
Local residents have made clear that the green area beside the allotments, known as the Cité jardinière, should remain openly accessible to all, without a locked gate or exclusive access for the local Gaart an Heem gardening association, which is due to receive additional plots.
Activities are being organised here until mid-September, but unlike in other districts, there will be no kiosk or food truck. Both residents and local politicians see the potential in such unpaved, open spaces in the heart of a neighbourhood, even if the lack of amenities is sometimes regretted.
