Ile-de-France outlines its urban planning until 2040

The master plan for the Ile-de-France region (Sdrif), which was the subject of a public inquiry with 8.700 contributions, was adopted by a "very large majority" of elected officials of the regional council chaired by Valérie Pécresse (LR), the institution announced in a press release. The previous Sdrif dated back to 2013.

The new document includes an "anti-ghetto standard" aimed at curbing the production of social housing in municipalities that already have at least 30%, in order to establish "real social diversity rather than letting poverty maintain poverty", declared Valérie Pécresse at the opening of the session.

State services had rejected a more restrictive clause in the preliminary draft of the Sdrif in 2023, estimating that its application would lead to a 21% drop in the construction of social housing.

"Following the public inquiry, the clause was emptied of its substance," according to the communist elected officials, who see "an ideological defeat of Valérie Pécresse" in the new version, which they believe is only "incentive."

The vice-president of the region, Jean-Philippe Dugouin-Clément (UDI), responded that the clause had "not changed" and that the region would continue, as it has done since 2016, not to finance social housing in towns with more than 30% social housing.

Adrien Delacroix (socialist, ecologist and radical group) expressed alarm at a measure that will "block the development of supply" in municipalities whose mayors wish to exceed 30% of social housing, "at a time of a major housing crisis" in Ile-de-France.

The Sdrif also provides for the protection of 38.000 hectares of agricultural land, the tripling of green fronts against soil artificialization and the creation of 140 new green spaces.

He wants to create "a new balance between the city and nature" with the "20-minute region", inspired by the concept of the "quarter-hour city" of urban planner Carlos Moreno.

The ambition: to allow every Parisian to work, educate their children, have fun, play sports... less than 20 minutes from home, with the creation of 144 "polarities", i.e. zones bringing together the different services.

Today, 74% of residents of the greater Paris region have access to most services in less than 20 minutes, according to a study conducted by the Paris Region Institute (IPR).

It is access to health that is lacking the most, its general director, Nicolas Bauquet, told AFP. And in the least densely populated municipalities, only 20% of residents have access to services that is considered satisfactory.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.