RENNES

The neighbourhood of Maurepas is situated in the north-east of the city of Rennes. It is made up of large housing estates and has been defined as a ZUS (sensitive urban zone) district. This neighbourhood is divided into several blocks, demarcated by very diverse houses and populations.

The historical centre of the neighbourhood is located around the two long avenues Mounier and Brno where the majority of the district’s social family accommodation is concentrated.

The context is therefore one of a working-class neighbourhood where many residents encounter social difficulties. The school failure rate of children is worrying and has called for the creation of a priority education zone (ZEP) which provides the school and its teachers with strengthened financial, technical and human resources.

For 15 years the neighbourhood has been the subject of a complete renovation and considerable improvement in the quality of life, favoured by the City of Rennes. Maurepas is well connected with the city centre by public transport, which has helped to open up the neighbourhood and incorporate it into the city as a whole. Furthermore, public installations have been built in the neighbourhood or in areas close by such as a public skating rink and a theatre. Despite this context of favourable development, the social difficulties remain, in particular for the children and their families.