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(c) puysaintandre.fr

In 2016, the municipality of Puy-Saint-André/F noticed that more than half of its land had no owners. The municipality then drew up a map of all these plots and, from 2017, began confiscating them on the basis of a "thirty-year rule": it automatically confiscated plots whose owners had been dead for more than three decades and had no successors. People who wanted to benefit from the plots had six months to become active. Thus, the municipality reduced the buildable area in the local development plan from fourteen to four hectares and thus also significantly restricted land speculation. It implemented this change over two years through participatory meetings. In addition, the municipality is reducing land consumption by densifying housing. Several parties in community housing projects now share the same infrastructure. In addition, Puy-Saint-André/F created a pasture association that manages about 1,000 hectares of land and uses it for agricultural production. In this way, the surrounding villages can supply themselves with local food.

More information: soundcloud.com/cipra_international/passage-delicat-quand-proteger-les-sols-permet-de-preserver-le-futur (fr), www.paysgrandbrianconnais.fr/detail/le-pole-dequilibre-territorial-et-rural-1 (fr), www.reporterre.net/Maires-ruraux-ils-sont-a-la-pointe-de-la-transition-ecologique (fr), www.reporterre.net/Le-village-ou-les-habitants-gerent-eux-memes-l-energie-du-soleil (fr), www.actes-sud.fr/catalogue/nature-et-environnement/passage-delicat (fr), www.puysaintandre.fr/la-mairie-0 (fr)