Low Carbon Materials
Biodegradable or recyclable, low-carbon materials are materials with a low carbon footprint* and low environmental impact. They are generally derived from natural resources (organic or mineral). We distinguish between biobased materials, which are derived from biomass such as wood, hemp,…
Biodiversity in cities – France
The recently published Living Planet Report from the WWF shows clearly that biodiversity – the rich diversity of life on Earth – is being lost at an alarming rate. The population sizes of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have…
Climate action plans, interview with Yann Françoise
Mr. Yann Françoise is responsible for the energy strategy, the fight against climate change and the circular economy of the City of Paris. An engineer in urban engineering by training, he has become over time a specialist in energy issues…
Climate action plans, an essential planning tool for cities
Climate change is happening and on a faster pace than ever recorded before. The summers are now marked by multiple wildfires on nearly all continents, heat waves, melting glacier, thawing of permafrost, water shortage, the reduction of the biodiversity and…
City centres in the Paris metropolitan area – France
The combination of metropolisation and increasing financialization of the global economy leads to a concentration of the worldwide economic activities in a few international metropolitan areas. In consequence these metropolitan centres become more attractive, wealthier and financially inaccessible for the…
Carmes Polytechnique, housing in the heart of Paris – France
The necessity of the reduction in energy consumption Reducing energy consumption is one of the major challenges for the energy transition. The buildings in France represent the largest energy-consuming sector. Its part in the global energy consumption reaches nearly 45%…
Redesigning open spaces of a public housing estate – France
Requalification of the public housing estate La Hêtraie and its open spaces The public housing estate ‘La Hêtraie’ had been planned and constructed between 1970 and 1975 on former farmland. Situated in the municipality of Limeil-Brévannes about 18 km south-east…
On the edge of the Paris metropolis – France
A guide plan for the development of the natural space ‘Joncs Marins’ on the edge of the Paris metropolis Like most mayor cities worldwide the city of Paris has grown since its foundation in the 3rd century BC by a…
The Japanese railway stations, a model for the Grand Paris ? – France
Since 2008 a new project for the greater metropolitan area of Paris, called the Grand Paris, emerged. Structured by a new major public transport network, the aim of the project is to connect the important existing and future urban centres,…
La Défense, a unique business district – France
Few urban developments in the Paris metropolitan area have divided opinions as much as the business district of La Défense. Some marvel at La Défense with its collection of high-rise buildings gathered around a large pedestrian plaza, where others see…
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