For nearly 150 years, coal mining has provided a livelihood for generations in this small northern French town of 7,000 people and defined the identity of individuals and communities alike. When the last mine closed in the 1980s, residents had to deal not only with environmental but also social damage.
The legacy of mining included huge tailings piles, subsidence and contaminated groundwater, skyrocketing unemployment, and a loss of identity and self-esteem. They were at a crossroads.They could have tried to attract another similar large-scale industrial activity to replace coal mining. Or, they could seek a new direction and redefine themselves. Not wanting to repeat the same problem and become vulnerable again, the town council decided to steer the future of Loos-en-Gohelle in a different direction, but without denying its past.
The city’s leadership has turned towards sustainability and started implementing various projects. The problem of contaminated water supplies was solved by groundwater remediation. The focus then shifted to rainwater harvesting, which for the past nearly two decades has supplied municipal buildings rather than the city’s drinking water supply.
Various innovative companies, active in the green and circular economy, develop and present their products in the city, integrating them into its life and thus acting as a kind of laboratory. They have also taken care of the insulation of the buildings, supplying the church with electricity through a solar panel system installed in the roof structure, using natural gas-powered vehicles and aiming to supply the municipality with 100% renewable energy by 2040.
One of the biggest challenges has been to transform a city where the lives of its residents have been controlled from above for a long time, in almost every detail, into a community where the transformation is inclusive, where everyone feels ownership, helping it to be seen as a shared responsibility. To this end, the “50-50” concept has been created, whereby if the public initiates an action, the municipality contributes to its implementation. For example, the municipality provides the flower boxes and the bulbs, seeds, defines the area, but the residents do the planting. When the new skateboarding track was built, local young people were involved in setting the rules and planning the costs. For the renovation of the farm roads, the municipality rented the steam roller, but the farmers provided the containers to transport the materials. This not only reduced costs significantly, but also helped to increase the value of the renovated roads.
The mounds, which have become a symbol of the city, are the highest in Europe and a tourist attraction. Regular guided tours are offered to show the changes and evolution of biodiversity resulting from the different microclimates of the mounds. But sports lovers are also well catered for: mountain biking, paragliding and, in winter, skiing and sledging.
Despite the difficulties and challenges, the transformation of Loos-en-Gohelle from a town dependent on coal mining, which faltered with its demise, to one of Europe’s most resilient municipalities is a real success story.
Source:
- Caron, J. (2017). Can the unique success of Loos-en-Gohelle be repeated elsewhere?. Le journal de l’école de Paris du management, 123, 37-44.
- Coal Mines of Loos-En-Gohelle, La Chaine des Terrils
- Loos in transition: Loos-en-Gohelle replacing coal-mining with renewable energy sources!