The aim of a smart city is to transform the everyday experience of residents and visitors in Mauritius. Joël Bruneau, Managing Director of Medine Property, reveals how Medine's smart city aims to be a model of sustainable urban innovation.
What is your vision of an innovative smart city in Mauritius?
We have to change our traditional patterns of urban concentration. We need to decentralise economic activities from areas that are usually congested, such as Port Louis and Ebène. By creating self-sufficient living centres in peri-urban and rural areas, we can relieve the stress on existing infrastructure. These large-scale developments integrate not only residences, but also offices and shops, offering convenient access to day-to-day needs close to where people live. This approach will also help to limit their carbon footprint by encouraging sustainable modes of transport. Finally, an ideal smart city should be a vibrant economic engine, creating jobs in neighbouring communities and stimulating the local economy.
What are the priorities in this development?
It is important to create resilient and inclusive neighbourhoods where people can live, work, shop, go to school and enjoy good health. We place particular emphasis on physical and digital connectivity by developing cycle paths, green spaces and efficient transport networks in Mauritius.
How have these ideas been integrated into Medine's smart city?
SPARC sports and leisure centre is an example of our approach, offering unique amenities over 15 acres for the well-being of residents and visitors. New infrastructure such as the road linking the south to the west and the SAJ viaduct from the M1 motorway improve accessibility to the smart city.
In order to enable Mauritians to settle in the smart city, we have completed several phases of residential development such as Oceanside and The Grove, as well as expanding office and retail facilities such as Cascavelle Shopping Mall to make it a major shopping centre. Additionally, with quality health services close at hand, construction work has begun on a hospital right at the heart of the smart city.
How about the initiatives that contribute to sustainable development?
We incorporate sustainable development into our projects to ensure responsible management. This includes installing swales for natural rainwater management, and planting endemic plant species and fruit trees to help restore the local ecosystem. Medine's smart city is also focusing on Tiny Forests.
Using this innovative concept, the smart city aims to restore local ecosystems with dense plantings of native plant species to boost biodiversity and improve air quality.
Some 200 acres will be dedicated to green development. Projects such as Magenta Parkside and the 50-acre forest around the Rivière des Galets demonstrate our commitment to conserving local biodiversity.
A final word?
Combining state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced connectivity and a balanced, enjoyable lifestyle, we are creating an environment where residents and future generations can thrive.
