Housing production regulation to tackle scattered urbanization in cross-border contexts

Résumé En

This paper is based on a double observation. In Europe, the actors in charge of land use regulation focus on scattered urbanization as a priority for at least 20 years. However, urban planning is rarely a cross-border matter. Furthermore, housing represents a substantial part of scattered urbanization in cross-border regions. In this situation, what are the tools used by planners to fight scattered urbanization regarding housing production regulation in cross-border contexts? In this paper, we compare housing production in the cross-border contexts of the French Genevois, the northern part of Lorraine (France) under the influence of Luxembourg, and the Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai agglomeration. In order to deal with scattered urbanization, how do the actors in charge of housing planning act? (1) Some municipalities try to take advantage of the influx of new households into their territory. These municipalities are therefore pushing for the lightest possible regulation of housing production in urban planning documents. (2) On the other hand, some municipalities are engaged in voluntary regulatory approaches that are implemented in two ways. They use the regulatory arsenal to develop restrictive rules, for example housing density, types of housing expected (share of social housing), urban and architectural forms, etc. These rules can also be supplemented locally by direct negotiations with real estate developers or even by public initiatives for urban developments projects (Annemasse agglo, northern Lorraine corridor). (3) Finally, the third case brings together a group of municipalities distant to the border but strongly exposed to urban pressure related to the cross-border context. These municipalities are struggling to develop a regulation of housing production that is capable of tackling this specific issue because all the actors in charge of regulation have not taken the measure of the problem yet.