La politique de la ville sur le terrain : le point de vue d’un maire

Abstract

Urban Policy in the Field : A Mayor’s Point of View The issues raised by towns result not only from demographic movements but also from the new functions towns have to deal with, for which they have not been prepared : they have to integrate a human dimension and not only management. The growth of actions such as town contracts, emergency plans, the creation of an interministerial committee for urban policy show that public authorities are realizing the importance of this phenomenon. But the solutions which rarely go beyond initiatives or experiences seem bitty, insufficient, unadapted and sometimes short breathed. To deal with this situation a "Marshall Plan for towns" is needed, with differently oriented political choices -for employment, the development of urban district public services, local finances and local democracy -and a permanent mobilization of all actors involved.