New local services in rural areas with La Poste

Faced with a rapidly changing society and declining mail volumes, the French Post Office (La Poste), is initiating a reflection on the transformation of postal agencies or post offices in rural areas through its Pays de la Loire delegation. The City Design Lab was asked to think about a design method for general interest and proximity services. Four towns in the Pays de la Loire region were the pilots of this method: Saint Mars-du-Désert, Rouans, Erdre-en-Anjou and Brûlon.

The students of the City Design Lab, in consultation with the mayors and residents, have developed methodological tools (a proximity fresco to identify the services to be offered in collaboration with the teams of Professor Carlos Moreno (ETI Chair - Sorbonne University), as well as proposals for the development of premises and services, some of which go beyond the post office.

Pooling resources makes it possible to offer services to citizens, such as educational workshops on food transition (Rouans), develop services for citizens (Erdre-en-Anjou) or set up a multi-service conciergerie (Brûlon). Design opens up the discussion and the field of possibilities through visual representations of third places and services, to reinvent local services in rural areas.