Marseille is certainly getting lots of attention these days – just this week, The Guardian (UK) has run an opinionated article on the new developments: read it here and don’t miss the comments below it! http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2013/apr/01/marseille-capital-culture-architecture?INTCMP=SRCH
Apart from saying Marseille is known as ‘Rio sur Mer’ which I have never heard, ever, he does make some valid points about bringing in ‘starchitects’ who design ‘shouty’ buildings of dubious function. I have to say, reading the rationale behind the Villa Mediterranée leaves one no wiser as to why 70m€ was invested in this, but let’s see when we finally get in.
He alludes to the terrible social problems in north Marseille where youth unemployment runs at 40% and criminality is rampant. I can’t imagine how families cope bringing up their kids in this environment – they seem to get sucked into crime to survive. It’s a long-running, well-documented situation and what I can’t figure is what is being done about it. All I seem to see on TV is more police being pumped in. Are there any programmes to help these young people into work? How is the drugs problem being tackled at fundamental levels (ie rather than just nicking people)? Is there any investment in these troubled areas? Maybe someone with better French than I have can comment?
Unfortunately corruption seems to be endemic in the social structures, with a recent case of police officers being arrested for complicity in drug-dealing and now the arrest of some of the département’s top public officials for allegedly trousering public funds.
At least all the investment in Marseille is bringing work to the city: there seem to be armies of young men working on the many construction sites and road-works. There will be work too in the new museums and hotels, and the planned shopping terraces near the Cathedral will provide jobs in retail. Making Marseille a magnet for cruise ships is forcing the regeneration of the docks area; plus it will provide business for service industries and will bring tourists in their thousands into town.
My question is what is the plan to link the people without work in the suburbs to benefit from the investment in centre ville?
Thanks to Juliet for finding this stimulating article.