He’s the man who wants to clean up Marseille. In the literal sense. Edmund Platt hails from Leeds in the UK and he loves Marseille for the terrific energy he finds here, just waiting to be harnessed despite the prevailing fatalism over the city’s state of rubbish-strewn neglect. His idea is simple and the slogan “One piece of rubbish a day” sums it up in a nutshell. He wants every Marseille resident to do just that (or more) and celebrate the act by taking a selfie with the item in question, posting it online with the hashtag #1pieceofrubbish (#1dechetparjour) and challenging five friends to do the same. A laudable act of civic engagement that takes just a few seconds. “A cleaner street is a cleaner town and a cleaner future,” says Ed, also stressing the urgency of the problem of marine pollution. Since the lanky figure, baseball cap, greying beard and communicative enthusiasm of Marseille’s favourite Brit have appeared in magazines and TV shows he has had thousands of online followers and his idea has been spreading to other major cities around the world. Thanks to Ed, Marseille people are ceasing to be passive spectators and becoming active participants in the life of the city.

L2: slowly but surely.
First mooted back in 1933 then finally launched after the opening of the A7, A55 and A50 motorways, the 9.7km L2, now renamed the A507, is still proving somewhat elusive. The first stretch – 5.2km from the Florian interchange to Saint-Jérôme – is now open but will not serve much real purpose until completion of the second phase in late 2017. The development prioritises interconnections between the 11th and 12th arrondissements rather than its bypass function, due to fears of traffic overload towards Frais Vallon and Plombières. The L2 will be free to use, with a speed limit of 70kph.

A Greater Avignon tramway in 2019.
The plan is now for a 5.2km line from Saint-Roch to Saint-Chamand via Avenue Saint-Ruf and the ring road. By June 2019 the initial phase will comprise a first stretch of “backbone” tramway between Saint-Roch and Bel-Air, two high-frequency bus routes and a rerouted bus network. Additionally, park-and-ride car parks are to be built, public spaces created and revamped, household waste collection points created and the railway station forecourt redeveloped. The work will disrupt traffic, except during the 2017 and 2018 Avignon Festivals. Aix-en-Provence’s biggest public square. The Verdun, Prêcheurs and Madeleine development plan offers great prospects for the future since the necessary renovation of water and electricity networks has provided an opportunity to completely rethink this historic part of town. A pedestrian mall is to connect Rue Manuel with the Cour d’Appel via Rue Peyresc and the Verdun and Madeleine esplanades, creating a natural link with the city centre and improving pedestrian access to Cours Mirabeau and Rue d’Italie. By spring 2019 this space will form the town’s largest square.

Justinien Prize.
Every year the Bruzzo Dubucq legal practice offers three start-ups exclusive, comprehensive legal assistance to help them grow. The winners, selected for their potential and innovation, benefit from the practice’s extensive expertise for one year to the tune of €150 a month. The prize targets entrepreneurs under 40 whose companies have been registered in France for less than 18 months, with the majority of their capital held by individuals or firms domiciled or headquartered in France.

Atode: minimalist chic.
Caroline Zalesky wanted to sell limited-edition fashion garments made in luxurious natural fabrics in Marseille, at reasonable prices. She worked up a business plan and a three-year strategy, finalised her prototypes and so on... but it was KissKissBankBank crowdfunding that enabled her to open for business in spring 2014. Since then Atode (standing for Attention to detail) has been offering outstanding clothes at affordable prices, beautiful garments that need nothing more and place the wearer at the heart of the creative process.