Book Launch - The Dynamic of Urban Renewal
01.12.2005
In the wake of the recent riots in Paris, a new book about urban regeneration in France — with contributions from Space Syntax director, Alain Chiaradia — brings a unique and refreshing look at European community renewal.
The book — which is supported by the French National Agency for Urban Regeneration (ANRU) and the Ministry for Infrastructure, Housing, and Equipment — gives a new voice to urban researchers and residents of social housing alike. It is based on an experiment conducted in Evry, a new town approximately 40 km south of Paris. By combining actual project management experiences with original spatial planning research on both sides of the Channel, it re-examines the links between policy and reality in modern social developments.
REBUILDING DEMOCRACY “IN THE FIELD”
Although hotly debated, the connection between urban development and social issues is still poorly understood, particularly when it concerns urban and social cohesion. Like many European countries, France fears for its future, and social housing estates have become the symbols of the growing challenge Europe faces.
Enacting Urban Renewal in France draws much-needed attention to the link between development and social issues, revealing a critical gap in understanding and available information. It combines the disciplines of city management, public policy, and urban practice to enhance the debate on sustainable development and demonstrate new ways to improve our urban environment.
Public and private actors in the field of urban planning and land development still dramatically lack scientific case studies on how urban and social public policies are really implemented. Crossing city management and the implementation of public policies with pragmatic academic research, the book informs public debate on urban and social issues that have thus far been insufficiently explored.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A RENEWED POLICY-MAKING PROCESS
Linking policy and reality, projects and actual physical and social changes in everyday life was the major challenge the Urban Renewal Project team faced in Evry. The urban masterplan was thus designed to integrate democratic concerns. The choice was made not to work with well-known architects and urban planners. Instead, a huge representative panel of professionals was gathered and worked thoroughly during two years. The masterplan was designed step by step throughout monthly workshops and debated with the inhabitants and the political representatives. Experts only helped in evaluating costs and technical constraints. The method proved quite successful in creating a new context, which was embodied by the Urban Renewal Project. The whole process, first perceived as peripheral and potentially useless, finally became daily concern for a very large number of inhabitants.
BEYOND THE LOCAL LEVEL: SPACE, INHABITANTS, INSTITUTIONS, AND CITY MANAGEMENT
Enacting Urban Renewal in France shows how research and evidence can be used to enhance the planning process without marginalising the input of the residents it is designed for. It uses Space Syntax analytical techniques to illustrate how both professionals and citizens can better understand how urban space (physical capital) and social capital become enabling structurations, to suggest design scenarios, and to evaluate the effects of proposed changes. This tool aids designers and stakeholders by bringing an evidence-based approach to the development process, resulting in more democratic and efficient outcomes.
Enacting Urban Renewal in France presents a critical architectural and planning perspective on how housing development projects are currently realised. It finds that despite significant challenges it is still possible to enhance democratic urban and social policies “efficiently”. By taking advantage of improved links between stakeholders, urban planers can accomplish the goals of the project while also serving the needs and desires of its inhabitants.
The book examines the case of the Pyramides rehabilitation project, which required extensive planning and public involvement. This project demonstrates that urban regeneration can lead to a new future for its resident by engaging both people and policy makers in the process.
Enacting Urban Renewal in France addresses politicians, urban-planners, and members of the public who wish to construct a realistic, shared vision for the city of the future, built on the foundations of that which already exists. Everyone interested in developing more effective forms of democracy and more humane urban environments should read this book.
Notes to editors
Evry and the Pyramides: Evry is a new town of 50,000 inhabitants and is located to the South of Paris. It is home to multi-level, rain-streaked, concrete high rise estates; multiple faiths, tongues and colours; and the usual cocktail of joblessness, broken families, truancy and drug-dealing. Evry has embarked on a series of major renovation schemes for its worst housing estate, Les Pyramides (12,000 inhabitants) and has secured 60 million euros for the project.
Director of Publication
Nicolas BUCHOUD was previously Project Director of the Urban Renewal Project of the Pyramides in Evry (2001-2005). He is now Directeur de Cabinet of the City Mayor of Clichy la Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine). Aged 30, he is graduated from Sciences-Po Paris (Master of Political Studies and Master of Urban Development) and La Sorbonne University (MA Chinese History).
nbuchoud@yahoo.fr / nicolas.buchoud@ville-clichy.fr
Main contributors to the book
Manuel VALLS, Mayor of Evry, Socialist Member of the French Parliament, former Member of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet
The current riots, says Valls, “are the consequences of 30 years of ethnic and social segregation,” resulting in what he calls “territorial apartheid” combined with the “bankruptcy of the model of integration: in France, our social elevator is blocked.” The Economist November 12th 2005, pp. 25-29.
Claude DOUSSIET, National Agency for Urban Regeneration, Deputy General Manager
Thierry TESSON, Educational Authority for primary, secondary and higher education
Loïc VADELORGE, Professor at the University of new town Saint Quentin en Yvelines
M’Baye BADIANE, Vice President of the Evry Pyramides-Area Inhabitants Council
Alain CHIARADIA, AA Grad Dipl., Arch dplg, Director of Space Syntax