Page 39 - MOKAZINE_3-ENG

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It helped me understand that I had to look at a city as a whole and not as a combination of individual buildings. The most important thing is to create connections and a sense of community.
Has the COVID-19 crisis challenged this concept of an open city?
Samuel de Gersigny : No. The whole project is underpinned by robust foundations. So, we continue to forge ahead because we believe in the country’s future. We see the launch of a city centre in the midst of a health crisis as a very strong act of faith..
“Moka has all the ingredients to create qualitative and sustainable ways of living”
Gabrielle Brun : The pandemic has encouraged the use of soft modes of individual mobility, such as walking and cycling. And it’s a good thing because one of our challenges is to design a 15-minute city centre where everything is within a 15-minute walk.
Now that we understand the purpose of the concept of living together, what is the reason behind creating this future city centre?
Samuel de Gersigny : We can help alleviate a serious problem facing the country: territorial imbalances with residential areas on one side and areas of economic activity on the other. The lack of mixed use – with exclusively residential or business areas – affects the quality of life of the Mauritian people. We waste time in traffic jams, depend heavily on oil
and cause pollution, among others. So, in answer to the question, “Why Telfair?” I would say to adopt an alternative, more balanced and sustainable development model.
Gabrielle Brun : The smart city enables radically mixed uses, which are concentrated in Telfair. It will be a true city centre, not just a neighbourhood, with everything within close reach. A counter-example would be a specialised city that focuses on a single attribute. We want to create a plural place to live, work and play.
2021 / NO 3 / MOKAZINE 37