In the Yvelines region, the working-class town of Trappes, plagued by poverty, has launched an ambitious climate plan featuring efforts against thermal leaks, free organic baskets, and bicycle promotion. This initiative aims to reshape the image of the 34,000-inhabitant municipality into a laboratory for popular ecology. Green spaces like the Pergaud esplanade promote conviviality and environmental awareness.
Trappes, a Yvelines municipality of 34,000 residents often linked to figures like Jamel Debbouze or Omar Sy, or to an image of neighborhoods scarred by Islamism, seeks reinvention. The town is pursuing an ambitious ecological transition, positioned as a « laboratory for popular ecology and ecological planning ».
The Pergaud esplanade, a vast green space bordering three neighborhoods, exemplifies this momentum. Built two years ago with a 1.5 million euro municipal investment, the square features playgrounds with swings, a football pitch, and a zipline, drawing children and parents in the late afternoon. « It’s even more convivial when moms come to the shared garden », says Aïssetou Diawara, pointing to the plot where her mother grows cucumbers, zucchini, and eggplants in fair weather.
A 20-year-old nursing student, Aïssetou Diawara heads the Planète Trappes association, established in July. The group operates in this square to « raise residents' awareness about ecology and pesticides ». The broader climate plan tackles thermal sieves, provides free organic baskets, and promotes cycling, showing that « ecology benefits people and their wallets » in a city affected by hardship.