Local spatial planning practices in four French Mediterranean coastal territories under pressure

Abstract

International audienceLimiting land consumption is an undisputed priority today. In France, numerous laws, regulations and space protection measures (under the town planning and environment codes) govern territorial development to protect land resources and the environment. Yet urbanization at the expense of natural and agricultural areas remains critical, particularly in coastal areas. This article proposes an analysis of spatial planning practices at local level in the French Mediterranean, considering the implementation of spatial planning over time as a marker of the will to manage urban development. After examining features specific to coastal planning legislation and regulations in France, it identifies past and present trajectories of urban planning practices and the development of environmental protection. Four French Mediterranean areas are assessed: the Marseille coast, the Gulf of Aigues-Mortes and the Corsican sites of Balagne and Biguglia

The effects of land use planning on housing spread: A case study in the region of Brest, France

“…Above and beyond the regulatory framework, urban planning schemes are often political projects, carried out at various levels. In France, local authorities develop and implement their land use projects, defining development objectives, infrastructure linkage, and technical implementation objectives (Prévost and Robert, 2016).…”

“…Zoning makes it possible to control land use through arbitration. Zones can be quite compelling when mapped in urban planning documents (Prévost and Robert, 2016). For example, they can protect residential areas from nuisance and potential risks by defining the location of industrial zones and by regulating housing development in risk-prone areas.…”

“…These plans are thus designed with sectoral and local needs (natural risk management, sanitation), rather than integrated and regional ones (Norton, 2005). Concerns differ across administrative levels, leading to institutional competition (Prévost and Robert, 2016). Often, the multiplicity of stakeholders (Nakhli, 2010;Jauze, 2013) and the weakness of coordination structures (Abrantes et al, 2016;Merckelbagh, 2009;Meur-Férec, 2007) result in inconsistencies in the regulations, causing block ages (Bernardie-Tahir and El-Mahaboubi, 2001).…”

“…Many studies have discussed the effects of urban planning (Brody and Highfield, 2005;Loh, 2011). The effectiveness of zoning depends on the degree of urbanization (Onsted and Chowdhury, 2014), and land planning is most effective when urban pressure is high (Mimet et al, 2013;Prévost and Robert, 2016).…”

“…The French Coastal Law is a framework law that is part of a complex regulatory system (Eymery, 2014) with several components: a) environmental conservation, the only bulwark against development; b) urban planning, which is being increasingly asked to enforce the principles of the CL; and, c) the framework law on urbanism which sets unified rules across the country. The law thus sets general objectives and leaves the specific choices of how to do so to local decision makers who have acquired a major role in urban planning after devolution laws were enacted (Miossec, 2004;Prévost and Robert, 2016). The meaning of the CL "is based on the kind of coastal zone you want" (Herviaux and Bizet, 2014).…”