Advocating for the Pavilion: "Let's Turn It Into a Politically Prosperous Example!"
Living Green: Navigating the Ties Between Cities and Countryside, Urban Cores and Peripheries, Eco-Friendliness and Housing
Embrace a fresh perspective on living spaces, as we delve into initiatives shaping urban policies in partnership with the Platform for Observing Urban Projects and Strategies (Popsu).
Jean Viard, sociologist and associate researcher at Cevipof - CNRS, as well as director of Editions de l'Aube, champions the need for a paradigm shift in our approach to living environments.
In The Ecological Individual, Viard suggests that "something dramatic has befallen the city and the countryside," a shift that undermines the city's dominance over society. How so?
In an era where village life revolved around community, the countryside was a polycentric space, each center catering to distinct spatial uses: farmers in the village, administrators, merchants, and religious figures in small towns. City and countryside merely intersected in their social relationships.
However, today, the relationship between these two domains has become ingrained in people's daily lives, prompting a more complex organization. The countryside evolves into an emerging social space, with a new "dwelling" of the non-metropolitan space beginning to take shape. This predominant transformation starkly contrasts the past.
Harmonizing with Rural Landscapes Today
As we navigate living in rural environments, we find ourselves adapting to a plethora of new opportunities. No longer are we solely farmers or merchants. Rural residences now encompass traditional activities coupled with modern economic opportunities in tourism, heritage conservation, and eco-friendly practices.
The countryside appeals to those seeking a high quality of life, cultural richness, and ecological sustainability. Residents engage in agritourism, support local food systems emphasizing slow food and regional heritage cuisines, and maintain the preservation of natural and cultural landscapes. "Green tourism" and regional labels, such as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France and "Remarkable Gardens," enhance rural appeal and foster a mix of permanent residents, seasonal visitors, and economic actors that support rural vitality.
In France, urban policies now prioritize green mobility, emission reduction, and eco-conscious tourism. Cities like Bordeaux and Lyon implement low-emission zones and green public transport systems, while rural areas embrace agritourism and sustainable development models. This policy shift recognizes rural environments as attractive living and tourism destinations, with their authentic cultural and natural heritage reversing some depopulation trends and creating new socio-economic dynamics.
Urban and rural areas are increasingly recognized as interconnected, interdependent spheres in spatial and socio-economic planning, balancing development and reducing inequalities between these areas. This approach supports food security and sustainable territorial development while fostering linkages through improved infrastructure and flows of people, goods, services, and information.
In light of the evolving dynamics of urban and rural spaces, environmental science plays a crucial role in harmonizing with rural landscapes today. Finance and investing, particularly in green tourism and sustainable development models, offer opportunities to bolster the rural economy while maintaining ecological sustainability. Moreover, real-estate development in rural areas should incorporate eco-friendly practices, such as agritourism and heritage conservation, to attract residents seeking a high quality of life and cultural richness.
