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Athens Grow Green Coalition Hosts A European Perspective On Urban Sprawl

by Yuliya Kuzovkova
11/13/2007

Stopping and reversing the spread of urban sprawl in France and the U.S. was the topic of conversation at Ciné Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Janine Bellante, a professional regional planner from France, gave a talk about her work in the 34 municipalities of Aix en Provenance, and how the government and citizens there worked together to combat the increasing urban sprawl.

The French call this “mitage,” which compares the city to a wool sweater and urbanism to a moth causing holes in it.

Through government support, size limits were set on lots of land that could be used for single-family housing, and tax incentives were provided for use of alternative water and energy systems.

The city area was developed densely, and a law was passed that allocated 20% of land for social housing. Other areas were set to be preserved with minimum development.

Bellante said these sustainable developments receive nonpartisan government support. For example a liberal government passed the 20% law and later a conservative government increased the fines for violations.

With an average of three cars per family in the area, an important environmental objective was decreasing the use of cars as the principal means of transportation.

Community parking lots were established, the number of buses and bike lanes increased and the city center is closed off to cars.

The French people in this region are voluntarily setting up this infrastructure to sustain a new way of life to ensure that their children will have a healthy environment and plenty of the resources that the current generation is potentially using up. The children are thoroughly educated about these issues.

Bellante called the effort “working globally,” where there was more expense at first, but it would prove cost efficient in the long run.
Questions from the audience primarily addressed the issues in applying such concepts here in the US.

American property rights and uncertainty about whether individuals who have less to gain from sustainable development would make sacrifices for the good of the community were brought up.
Janine Bellante works with the planning of sustainable districts in France. She heads the Center for Housing and Urban Policy for of Aix en Provence and teaches courses in planning at the University of Aix-Marseille III.

Bellante spoke in French and a translator was present to explain her ideas in English to the audience. The talk was hosted by the Athens Grow Green Coalition as part of their ongoing speaker series on smart growth and urban planning.