Metropolitics

The Vertical Village: the long road travelled by a Lyon housing cooperative

Marie-Pierre Marchand & translated by Oliver Waine — 2012-10-10T04:55:00Z

The “Village Vertical” development that has taken shape in a mixed-development zone in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, is today one of the most prominent experiments in the alternative housing sector. Here, Marie-Pierre Marchand – who has monitored the development's progress as part of a research project – describes how this cooperative came into being, along with the values that it embodies.
---- Series: Mutual Housing Following significant media coverage, the Village Vertical (in English,

- From the Field / construction, participation, housing, sustainable development, alternative housing, Lyon, cooperative housing, Villeurbanne, verticality

Why isn't there enough housing in France?

Jean-Claude Driant & translated by Oliver Waine — 2012-01-11T06:00:00Z

The idea that France is experiencing a serious housing deficit, requiring a massive home-building policy is the starting point for many debates. Previously in Metropolitics, Jean-Claude Driant questioned the relevance of this solution, asking “Why build new housing?”. Here, he re-examines the causes of the affordable housing deficit and, in particular, the notion of a lack of available land.
What is the true extent of the housing deficit in France? In the initial analysis, if there really

- Debates / construction, housing, social housing, real estate, property, local urban development plan, land, intercommunality

The Handicaps of Handicapped Housing

Catherine Carpentier & Emmanuelle Colboc & translated by Eric Rosencrantz — 2011-04-13T06:25:00Z

Since February 2005, all new and renovated housing in France has to meet standards of accessibility for the disabled. In the authors' opinion, not only do these regulations reduce usable floor space, above all they constitute an indiscriminate – and inappropriate – approach that detracts from the quality of the housing and impoverishes the architecture.
Everyone agrees nowadays that there is a housing shortage in France, particularly for the most disadvantaged among us. Even though new

- Debates / architecture, construction, housing, disabilities