Grenoble hosts the Idéal Connaissances forum on sustainable neighborhoods

2nd Forum on Sustainable Neighborhoods

March 24 and 25, 2010, Alpes Congrès - Grenoble

Awarded last November by the Ministry of Ecology for its model eco-district, Grenoble will host the 24nd edition of the Forum on Sustainable Neighborhoods on March 25 and 2. Launched last year in Dunkirk, this event aims to reflect on methods for implementing a sustainable neighborhood in

based on concrete feedback. As part of the Sustainable Housing Biennial (March 18-28), this forum is organized by IDEAL and the

City of Grenoble.

The context: developing “green” urban planning

160 eco-district projects responded to the Ministry of Ecology's call for projects last year. This significant figure is reflected in the Grenelle Environment Forum's desire to generalize sustainable neighborhoods. The French gap observed in this area is therefore tending to close compared to northern European cities, whose experience serves as a model for many of our projects in France. The success of an eco-district project is primarily due to the cross-cutting nature of any sustainable development approach: good management of water, waste, energy, mobility, not forgetting the economic and social aspects (commerce, employment, diversity, etc.) often forgotten in favor of environmental aspects. This constitutes a real challenge for communities wishing to engage in such a project, as environmental and social policies are still too often dissociated in France. There is still a long way to go to successfully invent a sustainable city model and evolve our urban planning; hence the interest in the forum on sustainable neighborhoods, which aims to bring together all the stakeholders: elected officials, architects and town planners.

Grenoble and its eco-district

Located in the heart of Grenoble, the former Bonne military site is being transformed into a model sustainable neighborhood. A total area of 8,5 hectares includes parks, homes (40% of which are social housing), shops, restaurants, offices, and even an elementary school and a cinema. The success of this project is also due to the ecological rehabilitation of the buildings: thermal insulation, photovoltaic panels, etc. These choices encouraged the Ministry of Ecology to award this new-generation neighborhood the Grand Prix National EcoQuartier on November 4, 2009.

It was on this occasion that Michel Destot, Mayor of Grenoble, announced that the Bonne eco-district was just one step in Grenoble's ecological development journey. Committed to a proactive policy of sustainable urban planning, the city has social diversity objectives included in its local urban plan, in addition to construction guidelines that incorporate ecological means and techniques (energy saving, energy efficiency, protection against summer heat and noise, rainwater harvesting, sustainability of materials, and greening).

The Sustainable Neighborhoods Forum

The second edition of the Sustainable Neighborhoods Forum will focus on three main themes: public policy, resource management, and the living environment. Here are some of the conference themes that will be explored:

- Mobility: a new way of thinking about and organizing travel, a redefinition of the sharing of urban space

- Nature in the city: preserving urban biodiversity, developing greening, integrating sustainable rainwater management upstream

- What strategies for local authorities for sustainable energy rehabilitation of built heritage at the neighborhood level?

- Developing a sustainable neighborhood: Methods and tools to support municipalities in their projects

Please note: Presentation of the Grenoble Sustainable Housing Biennial (March 18-28)

Press conference on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 11 a.m.

The Reflections of the Drac Building

Bouchayer-Viallet district

32 Rue Eiffel, Grenoble - 3rd floor

Press Service: Tel: 04 76 76 39 24

E-mail : presse@ville-grenoble.fr

See you soon on:

www.forum-quartiers-durables.com

Press contacts:

Julien MARIÉ, press officer

Tel: 01 45 15 09 54 - j.marie@idealconnaissances.com

Aude PLESSIS, project manager

Tel: 01 45 15 09 08 - a.plessis@idealconnaissances.com