Participation of residents

Published on 19 November 2018 - Updated 13 December 2019
Cet article date d'il y a plus de 5 ans

Undertaking a participatory approach means recognising that residents and users can perceive the same area, the same landscapes and architectures in different ways depending on their expectations, culture and personal experience – and that these all need to be heeded. It means bearing in mind the local knowledge held by residents, which experts are not necessarily in possession of.

World Heritage and participation

The Loire Valley's World Heritage inscription as a landscape, established by experts, has lent authority to a heritage value which, on the one hand, had already long been recognised (architectural and urban heritage) and, on the other, was a legacy worth rediscovering (the natural and cultural river heritage). But this sweeping territory of "outstanding universal value" is also its residents' ordinary living environment. Through the consultation and participation of residents, the outstanding and the ordinary can be juxtaposed, and the historical and aesthetic dimensions can be woven into aspects pertaining to uses and practices. 

Aims and tools

Depending on the aims settled on, there are various options including information/communication, consultation, dialogue and interaction and even joint development of a project. The following approaches might be taken: 

  • Raising the public's awareness about an area's or a development's issues;
  • Finding out more about places and how they are used ahead of any project design, especially by taking local knowledge on board;
  • Developing a shared vision of an area and how it is evolving to identify the issues involved;
  • Enhancing the project during the design stage

Different tools may be used depending on the aims: dialogue, spoken interaction (talks, on-site tour, focus group, café discussions, interactive digital tools and so on) or visual communication (photo surveys, drawings, maps, aerial photos, mind maps, etc.).  

There is also an artistic trend which, through on-site trials, creates a forum for initiative and creativity between residents, contractors and managers.  

Participatory approaches take time, and can sometimes raise issues in terms of mobilisation, but they enable a shared vision and a consensus to be reached around a project.  

News

Photo d une rue de la ville de Luynes. On voit quelques maisons anciennes (tuffeau, colombages...) et une cabine téléphonique rouge.
Licence CC BY-NC-SA Francis Vautier / Mission Val de Loire

29/10/2024

[Fr] AAC "Labels Patrimoniaux : stop ou encore ?"

Le projet LAPTER (Labels patrimoniaux et touristiques en région Centre-Val de Loire : une ressource territoriale ?) se penche depuis 2022 sur la mobilisation...

L audionaturaliste Boris Jollivet fait écouter des chants d oiseaux à un groupe d enfants à l aide de son matériel audiovisuel (micro, parabole, casques).
Licence CC BY--NC-SA Francis Vautier / Mission Val de Loire

29/10/2024

[Fr] Retour en images sur les Escales ligériennes 2024

Nos Escales ligériennes se sont déroulées à Chalonnes-sur-Loire et Savonnières cette année, fin septembre et début octobre. Plus modestes que les...

Texte en bleu sur fond jaune qui dit "Les RDV du Val de Loire #14"

28/10/2024

[Fr] La Mission Val de Loire vous donne Rendez-vous !

La Mission Val de Loire organise les 14es Rendez-vous du Val de Loire patrimoine mondial, une journée d’échanges et de partage sur les projets et enjeux...