Agenda

In 2003, a national urban renewal program was launched that aimed to promote a higher level of social mix in neighborhoods called "sensitive". The program made profound changes in the neighborhoods’ appearances by destroying public housing, diversifying tenures, and developing services for the middle class. From the outset, this policy was characterized as a success and there was a strong consensus claiming that this program had managed to operate between the left and right of the neighborhoods.

Since then, numerous urban renewal projects have taken place at a rapid pace that have added up to an amount of 40 billion euros in investments, an unprecedented growth in the field of urban policy. Changing the urban landscape has been regarded desirable to such an extent that most political leaders want to follow up with this program. Ranging from the French President to neighborhood residents affected by the renovation as well as their neighbors whose voices have been heard through local representatives, the success of the national urban renewal program was unanimously applauded. However, even though the urban landscape transformation is impressive, the results may appear more subtle in terms of welfare and social mobility of the affected populations (unemployment, school failure, insecurity, etc.).

What is urban renewal? This is precisely the question asked in the book edited by political scientist Jacques Donzelot and published in January 2012. At a time when the discussion of whether or not a second act of the national program of urban renewal is desirable, the researcher and stakeholder testimonies are able to shed light on changes that have been made when reflecting on and implementing public policy.

PROGRAM

5:30 p.m. - Reception

6 p.m. - Introduction
Pierre-Francois Mourier, Deputy Director of the Centre d'analyse stratégique

6:10 p.m. - Researchers' view 

          Animated by: Noémie Houard, Department of Social Affairs, Centre d'analyse stratégique

• Jacques Donzelot, Director of the Center for Documentation and Observation on Cities (CEDOV), around the collective work that led, What is Urban Renewal?
• Renaud Epstein, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Nantes. He contributed to the book What is Urban Renewal?, also an author of Governing for the Future, Urban renewal, Demolition and Reconstruction of the State Apparatus (PhD thesis, Ecole Normale Superieure de Cachan, November 27, 2008)

Open discussion

7:20 p.m. - Elected representatives' views

          Animated by: Christian Soclet, National Council of Cities

• Montillot Florent, Deputy Mayor of Orleans, a member of the National Council of Cities
• Claude Dilain, Senator of the Seine-Saint-Denis, a former mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois, member of the National Council of Cities

Open discussion

8:25 p.m. - Conclusion
Brigitte Raynaud, Secretary General of the National Council of Cities

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