Peri-urban Pathways: Experienced Amenities and Real Issues

Résumé 0

Suburban spaces often evoke the picture of sprawling housing estates and the high use of car driving they entail. But some of these estates are also crossed by paths used by walkers. These paths enjoy less attention than trails in tourist areas. But being close to towns and suburban areas, they are used by walkers living in these areas. Such is the case for paths along the south-eastern border of Toulouse in South-West France. A survey was made of both people walking along these paths and the workers responsible for their maintenance. There appeared a great diversity in practices and use, especially in the ways of taking advantage of the resources offered by the paths. What emerged even more clearly was the social process which reinforces the social advantage of some while pushing others out towards the margins. Thus, when the local community invests in path development policy and claims to protect biodiversity, it is little aware that it threatens simultaneously what may be called sociodiversity.