Saint-Omer, le long de l’eau

The starting point for the fieldwork was the request for a map of the neighbourhood Saint-Sépulcre as perceived by its residents. The administrative boundaries of the district as defined by the AUD were initially conceived as the boundaries of the project area. However, it soon became clear that the neighbourhood experience did not correspond to these limits. In the search for a new spatial definition of the district, the water present was used as a leitmotif: according to the many conversations and observations, this is an important aspect that has given rise to an identity. The result of this approach is, among other things, that the limits of the area of research have been shifted, but also that the district is “described” from a water perspective. In this way, we think that we can do justice to the intrinsic value and qualities of the neighbourhood as they are experienced by residents, but also that we can help guide subsequent developments.

“Just as the Eskimos know many words for snow, the people here have many words for water in their neighbourhood.”

The situations described on this map and the resulting perspectives have been drawn during four weeks of fieldwork by Dear Hunter in July 2019. They are based on personal experiences and conversations with residents and visitors of Saint-Omer.

Hunting ground: Saint-Omer (F)
Hunting period: 2019
Clients: AUD (L’Agence d’Urbanisme et de Développement Saint-Omer), CAPSO (Communauté d’Agglomération du Pays de Saint-Omer).