E-co metro
Judith Motillon-Alonso (Sciences Po), Bérénice Obala (Sciences Po), William Stone (Pomona University), Michael Xie (Harvard)
The banlieues of the Grand Paris metropolitan area currently lack convenient green gathering spaces where local citizens can interact in informal settings, as well as places where people can find out more about how to live sustainably. We want to take advantage of the construction of the Grand Paris Express and the political will of adding innovation to the construction of new infrastructure, in order to place emphasis on tying in the concepts of interaction with nature itself and social interaction, cutting across age and cultural groups.
Inspired by the exchange of gases between capillaries and alveoli in the lungs, we aim to create green hubs in new stations of the GPE where commuters can mingle and learn more about sustainability events through a digital kiosk, and where elderly and primary school students can work together to create a community garden that preserves the local biodiversity.
Gardening will foster the creation of strong relationships, increase feelings of social cohesion within neighborhoods, and the digital kiosks will give people more information on green lifestyle resources. As a result of e-Co Metro’s green hubs, more Pari- sians will take action in becoming more responsible towards protecting the environment and building a healthier and happier community.
