Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (HABITAT III) National report France September 2015 1 This report was written by : Maryse GAUTIER, General Engineer of Bridges, Water and Forests from the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE), General Council of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CGEDD) and Jérôme MASCLAUX, Chief Engineer of Bridges, Water and Forests, Ministry of Housing, Regional Equality and Rural Affairs (MLETR), General Directorate for Development, Housing and Nature, Department of Housing, Town Planning and Landscapes (DGALN/DHUP/AD) ; with the participation of Anne Charreyron-Perchet from the National Commission on Sustainable Development, and Delphine Gaudart, Jenny Pankow, Marc Calori and Franck Faucheux from the Directorate of Housing, Town Planning and Landscapes for the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE) and the Ministry of Housing, Regional Equality and Rural Affairs (MLETR); with the support of the Department of European and International Affairs (DAEI) of the MEDDE/MLETR. With contributions from : the Prime Minister: the General Commission for Regional Equality (CGET), provided to the MLETR and the Ministry of Cities, Youth Programmes and Sports (MVJS); the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (MAEDI): from the Department of Global Public Goods; the MEDDE/MLETR: from the National Commission on Sustainable Development, the General-Directorate for Development, Housing and Nature (DGALN), the General-Directorate for Energy and Climate (DGEC), the General-Directorate for Infrastructure, Transport and the Sea (DGITM), the General-Directorate for Risk Prevention (DGPR); the Ministry of Agriculture, Agribusiness and Forests: the General Directorate for Agricultural, Agribusiness and Regional Policies (DGPAAT); and the Social Union for Housing (USH); with the support of Marseille MIGT. This report includes the comments and observations of the French Alliance for Cities and Territorial Development (PFVT). 2 Contents Foreword.........................................................................................................................6 Introduction...................................................................................................................15 I. Urban demography...................................................................................................16 1. Demographic growth in cities...........................................................................................16 2. Managing rural-urban linkages.........................................................................................17 3. Needs of young people in cities........................................................................................19 4. The needs of the elderly in cities......................................................................................20 5. Women’s participation in urban development...................................................................22 6. Urban demography: present challenges...........................................................................24 7. Future challenges and issues...........................................................................................25 II. Land and urban planning........................................................................................27 8. Ensuring sustainable urban design and planning.............................................................27 9. Improving urban management, including preventing urban sprawl...................................29 10. Enhancing urban and peri-urban food production...........................................................30 11. Meeting the challenges of urban mobility........................................................................32 12. Improving technical capacities for city planning and management.................................34 13. Issues encountered and lessons learnt..........................................................................37 14. Future challenges and objectives...................................................................................39 III. Environment and urbanization..............................................................................42 15. Climate change..............................................................................................................42 16. Proactive risk management............................................................................................43 17. Road congestion in France.............................................................................................45 18. Air quality........................................................................................................................47 19. Lessons learned.............................................................................................................48 20. Future challenges and objectives...................................................................................49 IV. Urban governance and legislation........................................................................51 21. Factoring in urban environment and urban governance.................................................51 22. Decentralization and local authorities empowerment.....................................................52 23. Human rights and participation in urban development....................................................54 24. Safety in urban areas ....................................................................................................55 25. Social inclusion and equity.............................................................................................57 26. Urban governance and legislation : lessons drawn........................................................62 National report for the Habitat III conference – France Page 3 of 114 27. Future challenges...........................................................................................................63 V. Urban economy........................................................................................................65 28. Municipal finance............................................................................................................65 29. Reinforcing access to housing finance...........................................................................68 30. Supporting local economic development........................................................................70 31. Creating adequate jobs and means of subsistence........................................................71 32. Integrating the urban economy in national development policies....................................73 33. Urban economy: challenges and lessons.......................................................................74 34. Urban economy – Challenges for the future...................................................................76 VI. Urban services and housing..................................................................................78 35. Improving unfit housing..................................................................................................78 36. Access to adequate housing...........................................................................................80 37. Sustainable access to drinking water.............................................................................82 38. Sustainable access to wastewater treatment.................................................................84 39. Access to indigenous domestic energy...........................................................................85 40. Access to sustainable public transport............................................................................86 41. Difficulties encountered and lessons learnt....................................................................88 42. Future challenges...........................................................................................................89 Annexes.........................................................................................................................91 Annex 1. Land policies and implementation tools...................................................92 Annex 2. Understanding urban mobility challenges in the Eco-Districts..............93 Annex 3. The Eco-District Quality Mark.....................................................................95 Annex 4. Eco-Cities and Forward Investment Plans................................................97 Annex 5. Energy transition for green growth and positive energy regions...........99 Annex 6. Community participation...........................................................................101 Annex 7. Implementing social mixing at local level/the regulatory approach (Article 55 of the Solidarity and Urban Renewal Act).............................................103 Annex 8. Local planning and living space programmes........................................105 Annex 9. Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms..............................................108 National report for the Habitat III conference – France Page 4 of 114 Foreword Habitat II objectives The Habitat II Conference, held in Istanbul in June 1996, took place in a world undergoing rapid urbanization where urban ways of life were becoming widespread. This event, also popularly called the “City Summit”, assessed the scale of the challenges, by identifying, in this rapid