Massy Silent Metamorphosis : from a Precarious Suburb to a Business Hub
When Vincent Delahaye won the municipal elections of Massy (91) for the second time in 2001, he could not ignore the reputation of the city — a bitter mixture between delinquency, social distress and lack of perspectives. He was however determined to take up the challenge of enhancing it, even if it implied a revolution.
The renovation of infrastructure was for long operated at the regional level, while the inhabitants of the city felt abandoned by their municipality. The projects of urbanization did not meet deadlines and budget constraints, prevent Massy to rime with prosperity.
In short, everything had to be changed. And the new mayor did not intend to lose time. His methods were straightforward and bold, as he did not hesitate to launch a radical reconstruction and invest millions of euros for the sake of modernity.
Flirting with the business sector
Massy has decided to take the lead in the trend of urban expansion with the Grand Paris. And to fight against crime and insecurity, the mayor bet on business investments. Massy currently hosts major companies headquarters, such as SAFRAN, or the Green Valley of Lazard Group. Delahaye’s decision to host the headquarters of Carrefour - French major supermarket chain - even made the headlines in the local newspapers.
Dynamism and attractiveness appeared as a leitmotiv in Delahaye’s — and later Nicolas Samsoen’s (his successor) — speeches. Following a logic of densification of habitation and services close to the train station area, he prioritized the development of the Atlantis district. In less than 20 years, the area went from a nearly vacant area to the epicenter of the local economy.
The most prominent symbol of this change was the Place du Grand Ouest, which saw the birth of a cinema and several bars. Its architectural design also put an end to the monotone character of residential buildings.
Becoming a nod in the transportation network
The city is particularly proud of its train station, connecting it both to the capital and suburbs, and embodying the concept of “multimodality”. Through the RER B line, users have a direct access to Paris, while the RER C makes it easy to reach Versailles, and the rapid line TGV stopping at Massy goes even further, reaching the rest of France.
Its ambitions do not stop there. Massy seeks to become an indispensable nod in the new transportation network Grand Paris, linking the industrial zone of Saclay to the capital. Its transit position will be key for the functioning of new lines 12 and 18, currently under construction.
“The street is my garden”
In parallel, the urban transformation plan consisted in multiplying green spaces and ecological projects. The new 100% electric shuttle, financed by Credit Agricole is another proof of the business-friendly attitude of the mayor, coupled with an ecological strategy.
The company Paris Sud Aménagement, working in partnership with the local authorities on the city renovation, did not lack creativity to address the environmental issue. It decided to get the massicois involved in the transformation by adopting the slogan “the street is my garden”.
And their ambitions do not stop there. With the Vilgenis zone, the project is to create a “hybrid space” encompassing the forest and the town in the same living area. Something unimaginable in the former Massy, which counted more social housing than trees.
Changes beyond the landscape
Except the visible changes in the architecture, other trends made the mayor rejoice. The real estate prices have been growing steadily for the past years, gradually eliminating the lowest social classes, and therefore the feeling of insecurity.
A dynamic population growth was another sign of the city attractiveness: according to the INSEE data, Massy population grew by 3,6% between 2009 and 2014, reaching 48 372 people.
In order to enhance public participation in the city development, Delahaye announced the implementation of five “district councils”, closing the ancient gap between the inhabitants needs and the city hall projects.
But what can now be seen as a success story did not come without costs. The rhythm of transformation is indeed found exhausting by a part of inhabitants - some complaining about the constant construction works, others about the lack of parking spots because of the new population flows.
The last remaining challenge seems to be improving the cohesion between the various districts that represent, for now, a very fragmented entity and do not share the same needs and features. The municipal elections coming up in March will therefore be determinant for Massy’s fate.