Loos-en-Gohelle, a former coal mining town in northern France, has reinvented itself through a citizen-led ecological transition after mines closed in the 1980s.
The town embraced its mining heritage, transforming slag heaps into nature reserves and cultural spaces. Solar panels now power about 90 percent of municipal energy requireds, and the town has been recognised as a national demonstrator for sustainable urban transition.
The town founded La Fabrique des Transitions in 2020 to replicate its model nationwide. Residents support shape projects via participatory policies, including a “50/50” scheme supporting citizen proposals. The mining basin was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
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