Oakland and Saint-Denis, two rapidly changing cities. Two satellites on the outskirts of San Francisco for the first and Paris for the second. Two agglomerations on the move that are changing at a rapid pace … “Oakland / Saint-Denis: Translating Cities and Cultures” is a bilingual collective work that questions the social and urban challenges that local artistic communities face today.
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The first production of Villa San Francisco, this 72-page publication, co-edited with the Légendes Urbaines agency, will be celebrated on October 13. The opportunity to start a series of public conversations in partnership with California Humanities (see opposite). The goal: to put the role of artists at the heart of the development of our cities. And this, at the international level.
Strengthen culture and diversity
The book, the result of study trips led by two delegations – French and American – in 2019, offers economic, cultural and legal solutions. ” It is the result of an interdisciplinary program which opened the debate on our suburbs as territories of innovation with a double conviction: the importance of keeping our artists in cities and of better integrating them in the making of these. »Explains Juliette Donadieu, cultural attaché in San Francisco.
Artists, town planners, entrepreneurs or elected officials belonging to these delegations were able to take turns to discover Saint-Denis and Oakland. During exchanges, visits and workshops, they shared their perspectives and developed a vision in unison. ” Despite the points in common between Oakland and Saint-Denis, such as their pride in living there, there are also many differences, such as their stories. And we can learn from these differences. Be inspired by it in order to create more inclusive, united and creative cities ” says Julie Fry, president of California Humanities.
Invent alternative models
The participants in the project all defend this ambition. ” Our Franco-American exchange highlighted the need to take charge and invent new models. We must prevent gentrification and real estate pressure from pushing back artists and making them disappear. We must learn to love our diversity and to be well together »Says Julien Beller, founder of the 6B collective, a place of creation and dissemination welcoming 200 residents on an industrial wasteland in Saint-Denis.
And Emilie Moreau, director of society and social innovations of APUR (Atelier parisien d’urbanisme) to add : “The interdisciplinarity of the project allowed us to take a step back and enrich our points of view. It is fascinating to discover the relationship between the public and private sectors in the US for example. Just like the vocabulary used. In Oakland we talk about “communities” when in our country, we talk about “territory” ”.
A plea for the future of our cities
Renewal of public policies, innovative real estate models, strengthening of the feeling of belonging, rethought gentrification, reinvented regional mobility … The book therefore reflects the various reflections resulting from the cross-studies between the French and the Americans.
Collective advocacy, it encourages professionals in cities – Oakland, Saint-Denis and elsewhere – to mobilize. The institutions behind this initiative hope that the message will be heard. And that places of culture will occupy a central place in the cities of tomorrow.
