In the heart of France’s metropolises, nearly 20 million citizens live in a street, set back from the squares and avenues that have been the focus of much attention in recent years… And what if tomorrow, the street were to become the key to the transformation of more sustainable and resilient cities? With this in mind, Leonard, the architecture, urban planning and landscape design firm Richez Associés and the engineering and environmental co-design studio Franck Boutté Consultants have pooled their expertise to create “La Rue Commune“.
Ordinary streets account for 80% of public space in our metropolises. Supported by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), La Rue Commune proposes an ambitious plan to transform ordinary metropolitan streets in response to the major challenges of the 21st century: adapting cities to climate change, health and well-being, and the transition to more virtuous lifestyles and development.
Instead of proposing a universal formula, La Rue Commune adapts to the historical, sensitive and technical particularities of the street. It establishes a connection between actors and users through an innovative participatory method, encouraging a deeper understanding of the issues by citizens.
After the publication of a methodological guide, a advocacy book has been published by Apogée.
In March 2023, “La Rue Commune” unveiled a methodological guide that offers metropolitan elected officials, department heads and technical directors in charge of mobility, public spaces and roads, an approach for analyzing the vulnerabilities and potentials of the street. In addition to assessment, this guide also encourages action by reorganizing public space, encouraging experimentation with new street uses, and breathing new vitality into cities.
With the advocacy book available in bookshops from November 8, La Rue Commune presents this new vision of the metropolitan street to all, citizens, elected officials and planning professionals.
The book can also be ordered from Editions Apogée.
