Editorial
Sentinels or preventing to urbanize
Citizen associations regularly oppose urban planning projects in the canton. Is their action legitimate and representative?
- Geneva retirees are actively mobilizing against the massive urbanization of their canton.
- These citizen associations perfectly master the Swiss legal and democratic tools.
- Their actions have already blocked several major development projects in Geneva.
- Criticized for their intransigence, they see themselves as environmental guardians.
They owe them as many preserved trees as buried development projects. They are retirees who have become experts in legal appeals, communication and collection of signatures. They act in the name of the preservation of a certain quality of life which would be threatened by the densification of Geneva. And blocked many major projects such as pre-with-stand, the densification of Cointrin or the Cité de la Musique. Followers of “It was better before”, anti -rogress or ecologists from the start? Systematic opponents or a force for proposals? Associations like Geneva backup et The Association for Confignon and surrounding (ASC) launch or relay citizen defense movements in the face of “administrative and political ogre”. Petition, demonstration, press conference, legal appeal, initiative, referendum: all means are good for making their voices heard.
In fact, in a democracy, election is not the only means of expression of the citizen. In Switzerland, more than elsewhere, he has tools such as initiatives, referendum and votes. But also law, essential safeguard of a state that wants to be democratic.
The detractors of these activists criticize them for being a handful of non-representative citizens, from the close-handers preferring the conflict to the compromise. The interested parties, however, ensure that they want to participate in pre-project consultations and act in the name of the general interest. In fact, they play a role in the evolution of the city. In thirty years, we will thank them or we will blame them.
“The Subscribers’ Tribune”
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