Centre For Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility, and Urban and Country planning ETC 2015 Frankfurt 28 to 30 September

Accessibility to economic activity areas for students in North of

Sylvie Mathon, CEREMA Nord Picardie

They have contributed to the included work and results:

Eugény Peron-Bodin, Project manager sustainable development COMUE Géraldine Bodard, CEREMA Nord Picardie Johanna Gasson, student master 2 2 (2014) Elodie Bergna, student Lille (2015)

Has a student without car the same opportunities to find a student job to finance his studies or to be in a vocational training while doing work-linked or alternated training as a student with car?

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How a review conducted as part of a campus mobility plan has highlighted the issue of youth mobility towards business areas

3 The Community of Universities Lille/North of France (COMUE) = a group of thirty or so educational institutions in Nord-Pas-de- Calais (North of France)

COMUE are provided by French law to encourage universities and major schools to pool their resources when located on the same area to get enough scientific influence on a national and international scale with a view to share strategy and projects (common regional identity).

4 Environmental management, a unifying project.

An initial action conducted by the COMUE was to establish the carbon footprint of all university activities in the region. The first biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions is transportation (in 68% of cases).

Following the finding, a mobility plan process was decided to reduce impact of employee and student commuting (teachers, administrative and technical staff) in terms of emission of pollutants and energy consumption.

The issue of the students access to business areas has emerged when assessing travels of the mobility plan

5 The study area: Urban Campus Mobility Lille North of France

A wide diversity of public or private higher educational institutions in North of France, including universities, major schools (business, engineering..) federated into the COMUE = separate establishments which have very little in common, different disciplinary fields and above all, different past events (different implementation and development periods) Academic institutions implemented in twelve urban areas within one region. Greater Lille gets a significant role = 70 % of staff and students work/study in an institution located in Lille urban area.

In such a context, it is not self-evident to develop a common action = a weak habit in working together

Sustainable development management processes have provided to public or private institutions, to universities or major schools, the right ground to work together. To be effective, these actions should be led at a regional level instead of institution by institution.

6 The State provides a methodological support The Ministry of Sustainable Development commissioned the public body for studies, CEREMA, to assist the COMUE in its approach: A particular region • North of France is one of the regions who have, on the whole, to reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions to allow France honouring its European commitments • Mobility plans are part of measures settled by the energy transition law and mobility plans are required by the Atmosphere Protection Plan for companies/Civil Services in North of France • The second densest region after , setting up universities near local activity areas is a decision linked to the industrial, economic and social history (which is different from campus) A national challenge of knowledge and validation of methods as well as the know-how in the field of mobility plans • The methods and results developed during the assessment (2014-2015) and the experiment (2016) will be the subject of study reports and sheets which make national knowledge go forward. The presentation for ETC 2015 is part of such a willingness to share experiences in this field. COMUE Lille North of France is a key developer • The field of higher education has become a national issue, COMUE Lille North of France is one of the major universities in France. • It is one of the major regional employers, with 150,000 students and 30,000 employees (teachers as well as administrative and technical staff) • Its various regional locations highlight mobility issues taking into account each effect of the territory/urban area.

7 A higher education centre (COMUE) spread over several urban areas

Four main geographic hubs:

- Lille Area is the most important according to the number of institutions and students (main cities: Lille, Villeneuve-d’Ascq, Roubaix and Tourcoing)

- Hainaut-Cambraisis Area include the University of Valenciennes and Hainaut-Cambraisis (main cities: Valenciennes, Cambrai and Maubeuge)

- Artois-Douaisis Area is the (main cities: , Lens, Liévin, et Béthune)

- Coastal Area is the University of Littoral Côte d’Opale (main cities: Dunkerque, Calais, Boulogne-sur- Mer and Longuenesse)

It is interesting to see how the effect of the territory interfere on students mobility and their link with the local economic environment

The location choice for higher education institutes in several regional living areas aimed actually at:

- allow the young to pursue their studies in universities close to home

8 - develop pathways linked with local economic needs Dwellings of 150,000 students and 30,000 staff from COMUE Lille North of France

9 The assessment of mobility practices had raised questions about social equity linked with territories economy

Environmental issues (pollution/energy)) have led to a reflection by COMUE Lille North of France. During the early interviews in February 2014, heads of institutions who were interviewed have, above all, focused on social equity issues about access for studying and training.

Through heads of institutions speeches (interviews conducted early in the process) it has been found that the student population in North of France was not homogeneous on its capacity for mobility. • Culture for mobility and choice for learning pathways: in order to study in Lille, some students come from other parts of the country while others have chosen courses allowing them to remain in their family’s living area. • Link between mobility capabilities and economic environment: Choosing a place for training or choosing courses periods alternating with experience periods within a company depend on the culture for mobility and the students means of transport as well

The issue about social equity in studying access linked with economic players in the territory = - common challenge for the institutions - business opportunities with economic communities and local authorities

10 2014-2015: groundwork for the assessment

February 2014: about fifteen heads of institutions interviews to speak out their issues and their strategies linked to mobility problems. At that time, issues about companies access for training, for work-linked courses or for student jobs have been raised too.

From February 2014 to April 2015: • Geo-spacial referencing of students/teachers/administrative and technical staff • About fifty teachers/staff interviewed to get the on-line questionnaire ready • Exploratory talks of engineering students in part-time training (courses/firms, ECL Lens) • On-line questionnaires about travels: more than 10,000 replies (students/employees) • Interviews of people who are in charge of firms relations within the framework of trainings and part-time trainings and managers of activity areas too.

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12 All students have not the opportunity to jobs, work placements or training The "local" mobility culture is different from a living area to another The function of metropolis: many students belonging to Lille Pole come from other districts even foreign countries. They have learned to leave elsewhere while in the other cities, students come above all from their local living area. From one student to another, the perception of mobility is different = for some young people who study in Dunkerque, Lille is too far to have a training... others have choosing Lille to study in order to have a training in Northen European cities (Great-Britain, Belgium, Netherlands). The notion of "proximity" is different and so lead to a different mobility.

Public transports are organized differently Lille Area has an effective transportation network (underground, two High Speed Train stations). The car is not the only means of transport. Other regional urban areas are serviced by a local railway station. Car is a more effective mean of transportation than public transports.

Places of residence as well as economic activity places are characterized by huge activities areas. Part of work places are located around urban centres and living areas. These areas of business are mainly accessed by car. From 2014, a challenge has been identified for the mobility plan of COMUE Lille North of France: the link with business communities

13 the presence within companies is part of the university curriculum - 16 % of students are alternating courses periods with experience periods throughout the academic year (excluding student job) - half of all students are to do a workplace training out of course periods

14 Based on the urban areas, car use to go to work (employees of the COMUE) or to go to study (students) is different

12 % of Great Lille students go by car compared to 33 % 15 Artois students (including Arras) = territory has impact on car use Students/employees who have more than half an hour of transport were interviewed

If students save time during transport: - 34% will sleep longer - 33% will study more - 26% will have time for themselves

16 Students/employees who spend a lot for transport were interviewed

If they reduce "transport" costs : - 38% of students will save money (but 23% of employees) - 20% will have more leisure (but 17% of employees) - 15% and 14% will increase their food and clothing budget (but 8% and 6% of employees)

17 Excerpts with employees connected with firms

18 Mobility is not only a question of transport

"Sometimes, training are offered in Dunkerque but they live in Calais, so it’s complicated. It happened about 15 days ago, to master-level students yet. Going to Dunkerque is not easy. Maybe it’s because of the North mentality. People really like remaining in site. People who live in Calais really like remaining in Calais, and people who live in Dunkerque really like remaining in Dunkerque. (…) Well, students are largely commuters: they come back home every evening. For instance, some students live in Boulogne and study in Calais, they come back to Boulogne every evening. That they want to find a training near Boulogne." (ULCO, Calais campus) Lessons learned for the Mobility Plan and its main lines: - Mobility has to be learned and can require a "mobility" guidance to help students "going somewhere else" for example to find a training (required actions to help and raise awareness about transportation) - Choosing the place to studying/training depends on the place of residence (student accommodation must be near activity areas)

19 In the North of France activity areas are often located in the outskirts and most of the time only reached by car, so that penalised apprenticeship

"two training contracts around Valenciennes were cancelled: students did not apply because they needed a car to go there" ()

Lessons learned for the Mobility Plan and its main lines: - work with the firms and activity areas managers to access to job/training, taking into account the actions carried out for theses employees (compulsory mobility plans) - integrate activity areas accessibility "all modes of transport" into urban planning documents in partnership with local authorities

20 The youngest students may give up studies (because they have no driving licence/car)... or have to buy a car by the end of their studies

"Missions in Decathlon store, for instance, suit the undergraduate (Bac+1/2). Older students work at the corporate headquarters. Decathlon store are located in retail parks, thus it can hamper the undergraduate’s mobility" (ISCID-CO – ULCO, Saint-Omer campus) "For postgraduate (Bac+3/4) the driving licence or the car are no more a problem (...) Among the youngest, some give up training because they must have a driving licence or a car" (higher school of international commerce in Dunkerque (ISCID-CO) – ULCO Saint- Omer campus)

Lessons learned for the Mobility Plan and its main lines: - take into account the issue of accessibility/service road of activity areas in higher education policies (= pedagogical tool like any other) - universities must became key actors of mobility and urban policies (involved on transport/urban projects upstream)

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