Those who
make the city last
On April 2, the University of Le Mans’ rudology center hosted the seminar “Those who make the city last: Professions in recycling and maintenance of urban infrastructures” led by the ESO – Espaces et Sociétés laboratory and members of the PEPR’s SHS axis.
The functioning of cities and societies relies on field professions responsible for maintaining urban infrastructure, cleaning public spaces, and recycling collected materials. This study day examines the sustainability of cities and societies as a condition produced by the work of maintaining urban infrastructure. Urban infrastructure refers to the entirety of roads, networks, the material framework of urban public spaces (furniture, real estate, vegetation), and their physical and environmental structures (banks, soils, and subsoils, etc.). The aim is to create a sociography of the various professions involved in their maintenance and upkeep.
This study day was an opportunity to examine the sustainability of cities and societies as a condition produced by the work of maintaining urban infrastructure. It highlighted these professions by attempting to answer several questions:
- How are these professions evolving with the greening of practices?
- Are we seeing the emergence of new professionalizations?
- Are new professions being established in response to ecological transition ambitions?
- Is a renewed look at these professions underway?
- Can sustainable city models be based on the revaluation of the maintenance profession, perceived as environmental and social care?
Le Mans totem site organizes numerous events centered around rudology, the systematic study of waste, goods, and declassified spaces. A totem site is a space established in partnership with PEPR Recyclage’s academic and industrial partners, allowing activities to be hosted locally around the program’s research themes.
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