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The French New Towns Rubenstein, James M. Published by Johns Hopkins University Press Rubenstein, James M. The French New Towns. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1978. Project MUSE. doi:10.1353/book.71471. https://muse.jhu.edu/. For additional information about this book https://muse.jhu.edu/book/71471 [ Access provided at 26 Sep 2021 01:34 GMT with no institutional affiliation ] This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. HOPKINS OPEN PUBLISHING ENCORE EDITIONS James M. Rubenstein The French New Towns Open access edition supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities / Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities Open Book Program. © 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press Published 2019 Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363 www.press.jhu.edu The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. CC BY-NC-ND ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-3186-4 (open access) ISBN-10: 1-4214-3186-6 (open access) ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-3184-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-4214-3184-X (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-4214-3185-7 (electronic) ISBN-10: 1-4214-3185-8 (electronic) This page supersedes the copyright page included in the original publication of this work. THE FRENCH NEW TOWNS JOHNS HOPKINS STUDIES IN URBAN AFFAIRS Center for Metropolitan Planning and Research The Johns Hopkins University David Harvey, Social Justice and the City Ann L. Strong, Private Property and the Public Interest: The Brandywine Experience Alan D. Anderson, The Origin and Resolution of an Urban Crisis: Baltimore, 1890-1930 James M. Rubenstein, The French New Towns THE FRENCH NEW TOWNS James M. Rubenstein THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS Baltimore and London Copyright © 1978 by The Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, xerography, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Maryland 21218 The Johns Hopkins Press Ltd., London Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 77-26953 ISBN 0-8018-2104-5 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data will be found on the last printed page of this book. To my parents, with love and gratitude CONTENTS TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS x1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xv INTRODUCTION 1 1. THE NEW TOWNS IDEA 9 2. THE ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE 36 3. ECONOMICS OF THE FRENCH NEW TOWNS 63 4. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR 86 5. ACHIEVEMENT OF SOCIAL GOALS 118 CONCLUSION 156 INDEX 159 viii CONTENTS FIGURES 1-1 The French new towns 3 1-1 The Paris region master plan of 1965 10 1-2 The revised Paris region master plan of 1969 12 1-3 The French planning regions 26 1-4 Grands ensembles in the Paris region 32 2-1 Organization of the Groupe Central des Villes Nouvelles 43 2-2 Organization of the Etablissement Public d'Amenagement (EPA) at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 51 2-3 Administrative boundaries of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 60 3-1 ZAC's in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 75 4-1 ZAD's in the Paris region 100 5-1 Division of population by age and sex in Cergy-Pontoise, Saint- Quentin-en-Yvelines, and the Paris region 127 5-2 Shopping centers in the Paris region 136 5-3 Large-scale recreation facilities and forests in the Paris region 140 5-4 Charges for offices locating in the Paris region 148 5-5 Charges for industries locating in the Paris region 149 5-6 Evry town center 153 5-7 Housing in Evry 155 TABLES 1-1 The Title VII new towns 14 1-2 Distribution of residents and jobs in the Paris region 30 2-1 Division of administrative responsibilities in the French new towns 50 2-2 Population in the new town study and development areas 61 2-3 Local governments in the new towns 62 3-1 Annual budget of Cergy-Pontoise Syndic at Communautaire d' Amenagement 70 3-2 Financial statement for the nine EPA's through 1975 73 3-3 Construction in progress for the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines EPA 76 3-4 Financial statement for the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines EPA 77 3-5 Comparative costs of construction of infrastructure and land acquisition at various locations in the Paris region 79 3-6 The Costs of Sprawl community cost analysis 83 4-1 Land situation in the five Paris region new towns 101 4-2 Reduction in the size of the Paris region new towns 107 4-3 Housing starts in the French new towns, 1971-75 108 4-4 Distribution of housing starts in the Paris region 111 4-5 ZAC's in the Paris region new towns and elsewhere in the outer suburbs 112 4-6 National grants committed to the new towns compared to the sixth plan goal of 1971-75 116 5-1 Profession of head of household in Cergy-Pontoise, Saint-Quentin-en Yvelines, and the Paris region 125 5-2 Household size 126 5-3 Distribution of housing starts in the Paris new towns and Paris region by type of assistance, 1971-75 131 CONTENTS IX 2 5-4 Shopping facilities with at least 5,000 m under construction in the new towns, 1971-75 137 5-5 Ratio between number of jobs attracted to th<" new towns and nunihn of housing starts, 1971-75 143 ',-6 Construction of nonresidential structures, 1971-7,, 145 ';-7 Distribution of jobs b<'tween secondarv and tertiary sectors 146 TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AFTRP Agence Fonci�re et Technique de la Region Parisienne (Paris region land development agency), a governmental agency created in 1962 to acquire land in the Paris region for public purposes and to equip it with any needed infrastructure. In the early days of the new towns, AFTRP was the only agency in the Paris region that had the authority to begin developing the new towns sites. CDC Caisse des Depots et Consignations (national bank), a nationally owned and operated bank that serves as the most important financial institution in France. It receives its funds from individual depositers who save through their local post offices. The CDC plays two impor tant roles. First, it is the main source of loans to local authorities in France. Second, it regulates the nation's monetary policies through its widespread interests in a variety of projects and funds. It controls or funds a large number of special-purpose agencies and investment funds. CDUC Commission Departemental d'Urbanisme Commercial (departmental commission for urban commercial activities), a commission estab lished at the departmental level to approve the location of new shop ping centers. The commissions consist of twenty members: nine local officials, nine local businessmen, and two consumer representatives. They have effectively limited the proliferation of small-scale shopping centers in France in recent years. CGP Commissariat General du Plan d'Equipement et de la Productivite (national planning commission), a government agency, created in 1946, to develop the five-year national plans for new investment. The CGP is an interministerial agency designed to coordinate the policies of the individual ministeries with regard to long-term investments. The sixth national plan (1971-75) was the first to provide a large-scale commitment to the new towns, a commitment that has been continued in the seventh plan (1976-80). CODER Commission de Developpement Economique Regional (regional com mission for economic development), a consultative body at the region al level, including local councillors, technical experts, and representa tives of various interest groups. The CODER advises the regional pre fect concerning appropriate regional investment policies. Communes (French local governments). There are approximately 38,000 com munes in France. They are administered by an elected mayor and municipal council. Credit Foncier (land bank). The Credit Foncier, founded in 1852, is the chief source of loans to private developers for housing construction. It is privately owned but has a government-appointed director. The Credit Foncier XI XII TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS is the most important source in France of funds for aide housing, de signed for middle-income families. DAT Departement d'Amenagement du Territoire (department for regional planning), a now defunct agency within the now defunct Ministry of Construction. It was the forerunner of the DATAR in the 1950s. DATAR Delegation ·a l'Amenagement du Territoire et a !'Action Regionale (delegation for regional planning), the agency primarily responsible for the formulation and implementation of regional planning policies at the national level. The DAT AR, formed in 1963, reviews the invest ment policies of the individual ministries to assure coordination of ef forts to promote the provinces in France. The DATAR strongly dis courages further concentration in the Paris region although it does support the Paris new towns policy. DDE Direction Departemental d'Equipement (representatives of the Minis try of Equipment at the departmental level). The important ministries maintain cadres of civil servants in the departments to assure that na tional policies are being implemented at the local level. The DDE makes most decisions at the departmental level concerning invest ment in new roads, sewers, and other infrastructures. It is also res sponsible for issuing building permits. Departement (the middle level of local government in France). The department is headed by the prefect. In contrast to the situation in the communes the departmental officials are appointed by the national government, not locally elected. Consequently, the departments are not true local governments; they are largely local representatives of the national government.