(L-R) Eike Jablonski; Claude Thill, Nordstad; Paul Schaaf, alderman; Pascal Nicolay, alderman; Fränk Fries, LTEtt; Bob Steichen, Mayor; Claude Meisch, Education Minister; Tom Delles, LTA; Claude Turmes, Spatial Planning Minister; Patrick Michaely, MNHN;
Credit: MEA
Luxembourg's Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and the Department of Spatial Planning have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) centred around the Lycée Technique d'Ettelbruck (LTEtt) arboretum.
On Friday 6 October 2023, Luxembourg's Minister for Spatial Planning, Claude Turmes, the Minister of Education, Children and Youth, Claude Meisch, LTEtt Director Fränk Fries, the Director of Lycée Technique Agricole (LTA), Tom Delles, the Director of the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN), Patrick Michaely, the college of the mayor and alderman of the city of Ettelbruck and the "Nordstad" union, as well as volunteers Eike Jablonski and Thomas Rob, signed an MoU relating to the conservation of the natural heritage and the scientific and educational promotion of the LTEtt arboretum in Ettelbruck.
The Nordstad (development area in northern Luxembourg) is the third development pole identified in the Master Programme for Spatial Planning (PDAT). In order to support and accompany the development of this agglomeration, the Department of Spatial Planning has developed a territorial vision jointly with the Nordstad municipalities. This is based on an in-depth diagnosis and proposes a territorial development strategy taking into account the results of a citizen consultation launched in 2018 as part of the drafting of the PDAT and a digital citizen consultation carried out in 2020 and 2021 during the development of the Nordstad territorial vision.
Alongside the urban regeneration of existing urban structures, the PDAT recommends the preservation, restoration and improvement of an inter- and intra-urban ecological and landscape framework as well as sustainable management of urban ecosystems. The leitmotif of the Nordstad territorial vision thus lies in the creation of a "Landschaftspark" (landscape park). According to the authorities, this is a question of continuing efforts aimed at connecting green spaces, promoting them, identifying new ones and implementing the concept of nature in the city. Aspects of renaturation, environmental education, agriculture, local food production, forestry and the cultivation of fruit trees are also featured in the Landschaftspark concept.
The Nordstad territorial vision has proposed a shared strategy for the integrated and coherent development of this space. The objective is now to make this vision operational through the realisation of concrete projects including, among others, one concerning the sustainability of the LTEtt arboretum. The latter is a collection of trees and shrubs over an area of 6 hectares comprising around 1,000 groves. It is considered an important institution for Luxembourg and the region, used for academic and research purposes while also serving as a place for relaxation. Through its plant diversity, the arboretum offers a concrete overview of the interactions between ecosystems, biodiversity and the use of plants in the context of climate change. The authorities added that it offers students an educational space and stimulating learning opportunities in a concrete and practical context, allowing them to address various themes linked to education for sustainable development, such as biodiversity, quality of life, food, and the relationship between humans and nature.
To implement this objective, the various actors agreed to sign an MoU in which they undertake to commit themselves to launching the actions and carrying out the necessary work in order to guarantee the conservation of natural heritage as well as the scientific and educational promotion of the arboretum. The educational component is covered by the partnership with the two secondary schools (LTEtt and LTA). The research aspect is covered by the partnership with the National Museum of Natural History and intermunicipal cooperation is ensured by the Nordstad union.
The Landschaftspark Nordstad and its constituent projects, such as that of the LTEtt arboretum, also have a symbolic function, i.e. not only to preserve and enhance nature and generate a high quality of life, but also to strengthen the identity of the Nordstad.
