Thierry Albertini: "We need transversality in terms of urban planning"

Thus, by transforming the courtyard of the Célestin Freinet school into a permeable, lively, and playful space, a true place of life, learning, and breathing space is created for the children and the educational community. The redevelopment is therefore not limited to a simple aesthetic improvement. It aims to build a resilient, sustainable space that prepares students for the ecological challenges of today and tomorrow, while offering them a more pleasant and stimulating daily life. "Transversality in terms of urban planning must be reflected in the transversal relations of those who are called to work and live there, and their various proposals, in order to guarantee a true collective, shared, and unifying dynamic," explains Thierry Albertini, the mayor.

"ONE CHILD, ONE TREE"

In terms of the environment, the "One child, one tree" operation was launched in 2020. "It enabled 2,000 children attending school in La Valette to plant 2,000 alignment trees across the entire territory. These specimens, adapted to climatic constraints and adding to the 7,000 trees already present, make the development of urban green spaces tangible for schoolchildren, as is also the case for middle school students," recalls the mayor. Thus, a urban mini-forest was planted in front of the Henri-Bosco middle school, located, like the Célestin-Freinet school, in the La Coupiane district.

"(RE)GENERATION" WITH NEEDE

Between February and June 2025, the City initiated a cycle of participatory workshops with the NEEDE association, which supports territories in their ecological transition dynamics. "In addition to elected officials, staff, the Conseil des sages, and local shopkeepers, two groups using the (new) school buildings and their multi-purpose halls participated and shared their views on the La Valette of tomorrow," says Sylvie Laporte, deputy in charge of school affairs, early childhood, youth, family, and school works. This year, the Children's Municipal Council and sports associations, which use the Valérie-Garnier and Sylviane-Laemmel multi-purpose halls, expressed their needs, expectations, and wishes. It is from all of this feedback and these exchanges that a regeneration strategy was born (named after NEEDE's program), which will be delivered to the city this autumn. Paths will be listed there to continue designing the municipality's adaptation to climate challenges, while continuing to find solutions adapted to the daily life and specific characteristics of the city.

ECOPOUSSE WORKSHOPS

For the fourth consecutive year, Ecopousse has allowed many classes to discover fun and educational activities to provide the scientific keys to understanding climate challenges, encouraging reflection and questioning about energy use and the impact on the climate and biodiversity. "The goal is also to take action at school and at home by adopting the right actions and driving change," recalls Sylvie Laporte. Two classes were winners of the national drawing contest on this year's theme: "Water conservation". First, a middle-section class from the François Villon nursery school, and second, the grouping of the three classes from the Célestin Freinet nursery school. "This Écopousse prize awarded to the Célestin-Freinet school highlights the sought-after consistency between the development of the facilities and the teaching provided within them. Where the courtyard is rehabilitated to include water harvesting, classes are trained in daily best practices to save this resource of the future. A virtuous circle is thus established between the container and the content," Sylvie Laporte further specifies.