Metropolitan issues in France Capacity to act and perspectives

Metropolitan issues in France Capacity to act and perspectives

Context National policy in the 60 s: Supports the development of some metropolises to counterbalance Paris Creates the urban community as an institutional mean to organise this territorial level (1966) 4 urban communities created by law: Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg

Context Decentralisation of national State: Decentralisation laws (82-83) introduced new relationships between National State and local authorities Law about the republic territorial administration (92) gave urban communities competencies in economic development Laws about the reinforcement of intermunicipal cooperation (99) and about sustainable national development (99) gave the possibility to reinforce the conurbation level

The urban community institution A territorial public institution (not a local authority) Urban community councillors are delegated by member municipalities Competencies are defined by law Financial system is now based upon: business rate, National State subsidies, other own resources and loan Example: Greater Lyon budget is 1.14 billion Euro in 2003 Business rate (23 %), other tax and fees (16%) National State subsidies (30%), loan (15,5%), other incomes (15,5%)

The urban community institution Competencies: Urban utilities Urban transport, roads and public spaces, parking, water supply, sanitation, waste management Urban development Master plan, land use plan, real Estate policy, development of major urban projects, urban regeneration, environment Economic development

The urban community institution and metropolitan policies in Lyon Since 90 s: strategies toward global development of the Lyon metropolis Urban development Lyon 2010 : first strategic Master plan (92) Major urban projects : la Cité internationale Congress centre, Lyon Confluence, etc. The Urban mobility Plan (97) City contract : social urban development in distressed areas (00) From the Ecological Chart (92) to the Agenda 21 (04): towards a sustainable development policy Economic and global development Clusters and growth sectors: biotechnologies, digital technology, creative industries Greater Lyon, innovative metropolis : development of an innovation policy (98) Greater Lyon, the enterprise spirit : an economic governance plate form (99) Millénaire3, a strategic global development project based upon a participatory approach (00)

Metropolitan issues in France What is at stake? Urban community is an ideal instrument to tackle metropolitan issues: it has the right competencies and financial means to act but it suffers from a political legitimacy deficit and from a territorial scale problem: No urban community matches the perimeter of its metropolitan area. towards a better dialogue and partnership with other intermunicipal bodies and institutions Urban communities do not take part in the national consultation to prepare reforms because their political representatives are not directly elected by citizens the direct election of urban community councils is postponed

Metropolitan issues in France The role of lobbying associations The French Urban Communities Association (ACUF) A young association of the 14 urban communities Working method: lobby towards ministries and national institutions, thematic working groups focused on French metropolitan issues (political contributions to national laws, financial perspectives) an efficient association but suffering from a statutory political weakness of urban communities in France

Metropolitan issues in France The role of lobbying associations The Mayors of French Major Cities Association (AMGVF) The historical lobby association of French major Cities (+100 000 inhab.) Plays a union role of the other local authorities associations to influence national policy to the local level: Cities conference, Cities manifesto, white papers, etc. But the AMGVF puts first forward centrality issues and not metropolitan issues

Metropolitan issues in France The current debate New decentralisation law: Reinforce the role of département (Province) and Region The Region is recognised as head institution for economic development: towards a regional economic development scheme The département is strengthened for social affairs and inclusion New opportunities for urban communities Housing competency Possibility to sign project agreements with surrounding intermunicipal bodies to develop metropolitan projects outside the perimeter (co-funding of projects + share of business tax)

Metropolitan issues in France The current debate The law about local responsibilities A question mark about the financial independence of urban communities President Chirac announced the business tax abolition

Greater Lyon Experimentation of metropolitan regulation Greater Lyon 1.2 million inhabitants 50 Km² 55 municipalities Lyon Urban area 1.7 million inhabitants 1990 Km² 300 municipalities Lyon Urban Region 2.6 million inhabitants 8 280 Km² 678 towns 11 Urban areas

Greater Lyon Experimentation of metropolitan regulation Lyon Urban Region: an institutional association at the metropolitan level Partner-territories Partners: National State, 4 departments, Greater Lyon, St-Etienne Métropole and new ones Activities: logistics, metropolitan functions, sustainable development, mobility The example of mobility: the Conference of the 13 transport authorities presidents At the level of the Lyon Urban Area Partners: towns communities surrounding Greater Lyon, agencies in charge of preparing Masterplans Objectives: a common chapter for the 8 Masterplans of the Lyon urban area, Partner-territories to develop joined projects of metropolitan interest

Conclusion The French urban framework is demographically weak compared to the European urban framework Strategic intermunicipal co-operation has just been put in place The metropolitan scale just exists in the officers minds