Town planning policy in France

December 2007
Town planning policy in
France
Town planning policy is the keystone of public policy to rehabilitate dilapidated
neighbourhoods, most of which are located on the outskirts of cities and to reintegrate
residents through construction and welfare action in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and on a
broader scale to enable those neighbourhoods to benefit more from the city’s services.
Aimed at treating both the effects and the causes of the crisis in these disadvantaged
urban neighbourhoods, town planning policy is multifaceted, encompassing redevelopment,
welfare action, education, crime prevention, security, economic development, job creation and
workforce reintegration. Specific actions are implemented by various ministries.
Several bodies are mandated to coordinate the various facets of town planning policy:
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The Interministerial Council on Town Planning and Urban Social Development (CIV),
set up in 1988, is the decision-making body that decides town planning actions and allocates
public funds. It represents the ministries concerned and is chaired by the prime minister;
The National Council on Town Planning and Urban Social Development (CNV), set up
in 1988, is a forum for discussion, consultation and proposals. It reports to the prime
minister;
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The Interministerial Delegation on Town Planning and Urban Social Development
(DIV), a department of the Ministry of Employment, Social Cohesion and Housing, set up in
1988, coordinates town planning policy and oversees the execution of decisions taken by the
CIV;
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The National Agency for Urban Rehabilitation (ANRU), set up in 2003, receives all the
national funding for the national programme of urban rehabilitation and allocates funds to
projects proposed by regional and local governments;
The National Watch on Disadvantaged Urban Areas, set up in 2003, assesses the impact
of policy action.
The actions of these national bodies are implemented on the ground by the prefectures. A
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© Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes / French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, 2007
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feature of decentralisation, local governments are heavily involved in town planning policy.
This policy of partnerships justifies the large-scale contractual framework with the
implementation of contractual plans covering increasingly large urban areas. From January 2007
onwards, urban social cohesion contracts (CUCS) will be the framework for policies targeting
residents of disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
The government introduced the national programme of urban rehabilitation in Act 2003710 of 1 August 2003 on town planning and urban rehabilitation programmes.
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Renovation of housing: redesigning disadvantaged urban areas.
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Economic revitalisation
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Strengthening social dialogue.
The programme has been rounded out by subsequent legislation: Act 2005-32 of 18
January 2005 on social cohesion programmes, Act 2006-396 of 31 March 2006 on equal
opportunity, and Act 2006-872 of 13 July 2006 on a national commitment to housing.
To find out more
WEBSITES

Interministerial Delegation on Town Planning and Urban Social Development
http://www.ville.gouv.fr/

Resource Centre of the Interministerial Delegation on Town Planning
http://i.ville.gouv.fr/

National Agency for Urban Rehabilitation
http://www.anru.fr/
Page on the urban rehabilitation programme:
http://www.anru.fr/article.php3?id_article=193

La politique de la ville (1970-2005) : 35 ans d'expérimentations (Town planning
policy (1970-2005) : 35 years of experimentations) : dossier de la Documentation
française, site Vie publique, novembre 2006.
http://www.vie-publique.fr/politiques-publiques/politique-ville/index/?xtor=EPR-56

Le renouvellement de la politique de la ville (New town planning policy):
Documentation française, October 2006.
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/politique-ville/index.shtml
© Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes / French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, 2007
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REPORTS

Projet de loi de finances pour 2008 : Ville et logement (Town and housing). - Avis
n° 93 (2007-2008) de MM. Pierre ANDRÉ et Thierry REPENTIN, fait au nom de la
commission des affaires économiques, déposé le 22 novembre 2007.
http://www.senat.fr/rap/a07-093-10/a07-093-10.html

2007 Report of the National Watch on Disadvantaged Urban Areas
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapportspublics/074000717/index.shtml?xtor=EPR-696

Report of the National Council of Cities 2002/2005. – La Documentation française,
2006. http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/catalogue/9782110060839/
The previous report (2001) is available at:
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/014000691/index.shtml

Habitat pour tous en Ile-de-France: 50 propositions pour la relance du logement
(Housing for all in Ile-de-France: 50 proposals to increase housing) / Pierre
Pommellet. – Ministère de l’emploi, du travail et de la cohésion sociale, 2005
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/054000292/index.shtml

Factfinding report commissioned by the Economic Affairs and Planning
Commission, on the future of city contracts / Pierre André. – Senate, les Rapports du
Sénat No. 402, 2005.
http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/rapports-publics/054000479/index.shtml
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Proposals from the National Council of Cities for reform of town planning policy,
September 2005.
http://www.ville.gouv.fr/pdf/cnv/refondation.pdf
PUBLICATIONS

Comprendre les violences urbaines (Understanding urban riots). - La Documentation
française, Regards sur l’actualité No. 319, March 2006. See in particular the article “Après
les émeutes, comment débattre de la politique de la ville ?” (“Town planning policy after the
riots”), p.39.

Ville et territoires (City and territories) / edited by Philippe Tronquoy. – La
Documentation française, Les Cahiers français No. 328, 2005.

Quartiers sensibles et cohésion sociale (Disadvantaged areas and social cohesion)
/ Julien Damon. – La Documentation française, No. 906, November 2004.

La politique de la ville (Town planning policy). - La Documentation française, Regards
sur l’actualité No. 296, décembre 2003.

Les politiques de la ville (Town planning policies) / Claude Chaline. – PUF, Que saisje ? No. 3232, 2003.
© Ministère des Affaires étrangères et européennes / French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, 2007
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