Differdange, from one era to another

Differdange, the third largest agglomeration in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, has to meet many socio-demographic challenges. This city on the move looks optimistically to the future. It is transforming itself based on a new sustainable dynamic.

Like all entities in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Differdange is experiencing a permanent influx of new inhabitants. The third largest city in the country, after Luxembourg and Esch-sur-Alzette, is delighted about this, even if it means having to face up to some challenges. "Our city is on the move," says Robert Traversini, who became mayor of the city a few weeks ago. "Our aim has been to create a new dynamic and to be able to transform the positive energies that emanate from the city for the well-being and conviviality of its citizens. I think I can say today that this dynamic has been initiated. The city is vibrating like never before, with an explosion of events, sports, culture, and new projects that are being created.

Differdange needed it. According to its new mayor, ten years ago the town was falling asleep. Young people were leaving and it was stagnating in a form of stagnation. If the steel industry made Differdange great several decades ago, those days are over. It is therefore necessary to look to the future. "We had to opt for another policy, reinvest to reinforce the attractiveness of our town, to meet the new needs of the inhabitants", comments Robert Traversini. There are 23,000 residents in Differdange, a number that is now growing significantly. "We have invested a lot in the school infrastructure and the relay houses, first of all by creating new ones. Today, the capacity is more than sufficient," explains the mayor. "But we have also invested a lot in leisure activities, by creating Aquasud, for example, one of the nicest swimming pools in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The new cultural centre has also just opened its doors, broadening the range of cultural activities on offer in the municipality and providing a fine library.

Priority to housing

The municipal authorities do not intend to stop there, taking the demographic and economic challenges head on. Housing in the city is a priority. The mayor wishes to be able to establish a better social mix in the centre of Differdange. To achieve this, he wants to reinvest in housing and in the many existing dilapidated buildings. "Many buildings are not renovated. Many flats are old. In the centre, at the level of the High Street, the population is mainly made up of people with an immigrant background. I think that by renovating buildings, by creating more comfortable housing of a higher standard, we could achieve a better mix, which would be beneficial to the whole population and to the young people who grow up there," explains the mayor. Behind this desire, debated within the city's Housing Commission, there is also the idea of bringing in students and making empty houses habitable. Solutions are being discussed, such as providing lease guarantees for owners who choose to renovate.

Commerce must also participate in the life of the city. The challenge in the centre is to revitalise trade, including by trying to attract large brands, which are real commercial engines. The mayor is prospecting, and not without success. Auchan, for example, is going to set up in the centre of Differdange. "Here too, in terms of trade, we need a real mix, a wide range of products. This is what will make our city centre commercially attractive.

Beyond the city centre, the municipality of Differdange is creating other housing. It is developing, among other things, projects for the creation of single-family homes, some of which are social in nature, with the Fonds du Logement and the Société Nationale des Habitations à Bon Marché. Other projects, led by property developers, are also being developed. "In the next fifteen years, Differdange should have between 500 and 1,500 additional homes," explains Robert Traversini. "Although we cannot predict the future, demand is high, as it is everywhere in Luxembourg. We must therefore be able to respond in the best possible way. We are having a lot of discussions with developers, in order to create quality housing and to meet a wide variety of needs. All this must be taken into account in the vision of the city's development, so that our 23,000 inhabitants can live together in the best possible way.

PAG under development

Differdange is also currently working on its future General Development Plan. It is therefore thinking about its future and intends to redesign itself. The will is to work within the built-up area, to give a real character to the city's districts, to renovate while preserving the historical character of the existing. If Differdange is looking to the future, it is keen to preserve the traces of its steelmaking character, in memory of an era that made it great. "Certain districts are typical. And we want to preserve their character. It is part of our history, part of the history of the south of the country," comments Robert Traversini. "There is land available within the current perimeter. We can still build on it. So we have decided not to open it up.

But Differdange must also, in its new General Development Plan, rethink its economic future. It is a question of reinforcing the artisanal zones to allow businesses to be created and to develop. The numerous measures taken to redevelop mining sites and industrial localities so as to adapt them to new economic and ecological requirements are radically changing the landscape of the municipality.

"Creative incubator

The best recent example is the creation of a centre for applied creativity, made up of micro and small enterprises, which bears the evocative name of '1535°C'. Creative economic players are gathered there on 18,000 square metres.

These companies will have the opportunity to settle in the heart of three buildings representative of the industrial heritage of Differdange, which will be progressively renovated. They occupy the strategic position of a transition zone between the Fousbann district (the inhabitants) and the road access to the southern motorway (visitors).

"1535° is a collaborative and interdisciplinary initiative at local and national level, promoting arts and culture and supporting creative industries.

The use of the premises should lead to a dynamic of rotation and renewal of the companies that integrate it. "It is a form of creative incubator", comments the mayor. "The idea is to support these creative companies, focused on the communication, art and digital professions, for the time of their launch and to create a real emulation and animation. The creative and entrepreneurial process requires time and experience. The future tenants will not only be start-ups. Spaces will also be allocated in the longer term to independent companies or individuals.

External parties (professionals, students) will have the possibility to rent spaces for a defined period of time (by the day or by the month) for "co-working" as well as the realisation of specific projects (such as artists' residencies).

The selection of companies to join the project will be based on an application submitted to the administration of "1535°C". The site is managed in a flexible manner. It allows for adaptation to the situation and short-term needs without ever losing sight of the project's objectives.

With such a project, there is no doubt that Differdange has changed era.

Sébastien Lambotte

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