I vote for scenario 6

good morning,

As president of an association, I have intervened several times to obtain advice and/or develop green spaces in Reunion (Jardin de l’Etat, Parc de la Trinité, etc.). Over 25 years of being in Reunion has made me understand the priorities and stakes of this wonderful region. So I have a fairly specific proposal regarding the development of these three hectares of Espace Océan.

It is clear that some light arrangements should be made to facilitate the access and walking of this site for visitors. But to respond to the aspirations of more and more Reunionese, to respond to needs and thirst for nature and the breath of the city, finally, to put your finger on what this wonderful little paradise was like before the arrival of humans, a powerful layout idea seems to emerge. Let’s try to rebuild here, the wonderful forest environment, the vegetation paradise that welcomed the first humans who landed in Reunion. It would only be fair to do with such generous and diverse nature that has fed the island’s first inhabitants for over a century. It would also be a way to partially repair the damage humans had done to this little paradise. Many botanists who crossed the island at the beginning of settlement described, quite accurately, the various plants and trees that inhabited the coast of Reunion. We will probably never be able to completely rebuild this original environment, but we can try to get as close to it as possible. In the end, it is also not impossible to introduce some extinct animals.

The five proposed scenarios are a way of knowing the opinion of the population. However, within the largest overseas city, it seems necessary to balance the excess concrete with a nature as far as possible from the urban focus. It is likely that in a few years, it will be a vital need for the inhabitants of this city. By introducing the transition between urban space and forest space, the various built-in facilities available in these five scenarios can find their place exactly on the outskirts of the park or nearby.

François-Michel Mouges

Member of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of Reunion National Park