Ecodistrict

An eco-district is a district or group of buildings whose design aims to be more sustainable than standard constructions. The objective is to combine the control of resources needed by the population and economic production activities with the control of the waste they produce. An ecodistrict or eco-district is a neighborhood, urban area, or region whose urban planning aims to integrate objectives of sustainable development and social equity, and to reduce the district's ecological footprint. The notion of an "ecodistrict" insists on the consideration of all environmental issues, via a collaborative process.

It includes a local supply of energy as well as waste reprocessing in their production areas, taking into account known techniques and short recycling and distribution circuits respecting the regulations in force. It is a development unit which incidentally produces a cultural unit. This characteristic of control generally depends on the involvement of the inhabitants. In order to design ecodistricts, one needs to completely redesign their energy system plans. The usage of photovoltaic panels and electric vehicles is common.

Definition

The term "eco-district" is a neologism combining the noun "district" with the prefix " eco- ", borrowed from the ancient Greek οἶκος / oīkos, "house".

This neologism is at the origin of the ÉcoQuartier label, promoted by the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy (MEDDE). It designates an urban development project aiming to integrate so-called " sustainable development " objectives - concerning the 3 economic, social and environmental aspects - and to reduce the ecological footprint of the project. This notion insists on taking into account all environmental issues by assigning them ambitious levels of requirement.

According to the promoters of this term, an eco-district would reconcile these different environmental issues as much as possible with the aim of reducing the impact of buildings on nature:

Reducing energy consumption: Buildings, in particular, meet very strict requirements with the lowest possible consumption per square meter. Remarkable eco-districts all use renewable energy (most often solar).

Better management of travel with limitation of cars and encouragement of the use of soft transport (public transport, bicycle, walking): eco-districts encourage the use of bicycles thanks to cycle paths, the presence of secure bicycle parking, pedestrian paths allowing safe movement, bus stops running through the district, etc. This limitation of cars can even go as far as a total ban, as in the case of Carfree districts, but in all cases it implies at least some consideration of the car parking offer.

Reduction in water consumption: rainwater is collected and used to water green spaces, clean public roads or supply toilet water.

Limiting waste production: separate waste collection is essential, but green waste can also be easily composted using designated areas - the compost can then be used for gardens and green spaces.

Promoting biodiversity: depending on the eco-district, measures can be taken or encouraged to allow local flora and fauna to flourish.

The construction materials used and the construction sites can be the subject of particular attention (eco-materials, better management of construction site waste, reuse of elements as part of rehabilitation, etc.). A project (2012) plans to experiment with the use of factory-prefabricated modules, assembled on site in a few hours (a new house (wooden frame) should be assembled every day in the district), in Vert-Saint-Denis.

The Eco-District protocol

In the United States, a protocol was developed for the development of Ecodistricts. Today, this protocol is seen as the gold standard in the development of ecodistricts. It is aimed at governments, community organizations and the private sector that are interested in starting such a trajectory. The protocol is based on 3 imperatives: equity, resilience and climate protection. In addition, six priorities were identified:

Place: To promote the development of an inclusive and vibrant community

Prosperity: To promote sustainable educational and economic opportunities

Mental and physical health: ensuring the health of the people who use the district (living, living or working)

Connection: to promote making connections between people and places

Living infrastructure: to promote the development of natural ecosystems

Resource regeneration: to promote sustainable use and processing of resources such as energy, water, food and waste

“Eco-District” Label

The "EcoQuartier" label is the result of a process that included the signing of the Eco-District Charter by elected officials and their partners. This charter contains 20 commitments divided into four major sections: "Approach and Process," "Living Environment and Users," " Territorial Development," and "Environment and Climate." Obtaining the "EcoQuartier" label is part of a voluntary, partnership-based approach; no financial assistance is provided.

The certification process involves four stages, corresponding to the different stages of the project. Separating the certification process into four stages allows the ministry to measure how well local authorities are meeting their commitments over time.

Step 1: obtained by signing the “EcoQuartier” charter

Step 2: Construction site commitment. The "step 2" eco-district label is issued by the National EcoDistrict Commission following an expert appraisal.

Step 3: delivery of the Eco-District, label obtained here also after expertise.

Step 4: confirmation of the EcoDistrict, created in 2017, makes it possible to measure the fulfillment of commitments over time, after 3 years of living in the district.

Designers and users

From the development phase to the operational phase, every neighborhood is the result of the actions undertaken by a multitude of actors as varied as they are numerous. The idea of giving an urban planning project the "Ecodistrict" label generally comes from the community concerned; sometimes, from a group of citizens.

A multidisciplinary project management team is called upon to coordinate the issues between them: town planners, landscapers, architects, sociologists, environmental consultants, etc. Who must be particularly open to environmental protection.

An eco-district could not be built without major players in the construction industry and professionals in the construction process such as project management assistants (AMO, designers, developers, architects, landscapers, engineers, etc.) needed to ensure the coherence of the project. We therefore find developers, investors and network managers such as the MecoConcept & Assainissement group associated with the Betem International group whose concept is to offer eco-districts that are self-sufficient in energy and drinking water. In France, social landlords have become very involved in the districts since they have every interest in seeing energy bills decrease. They have become a major driving force in the launch of such operations.

Functional mix: service, commerce and culture

With a view to reducing distances, the ecological district attempts to establish a multifunctional zoning. Obviously bringing together housing (mostly collective), but also businesses, services, shops (often on the ground floor of buildings), public establishments, performance halls, etc. An example of this type of installation is the Krokus center in Hanover, which brings together under the same roof: a library, an arts center, meeting rooms, a studio, a workshop and a community center. Or the Tianjin ecocity in China which brings together housing, parks and gardens, schools, medical facilities, business districts with a desire to use hybrid vehicles for journeys between the different facilities. In this multifunctional zoning there are also many green spaces. Here too, sustainable neighborhoods mark their originality by avoiding the separation between private gardens and public spaces, in order to constitute a green continuum and increase well-being.

Mobility in eco-districts

In the design of eco-districts, mobility and travel are essential environmental and economic issues in order to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Designers recommend the development of public transport and the use of soft mobility, sustainable mobility, also called " Ecomobility ", as alternatives to car use in relation to urban density. 

The mobility ambitions displayed in eco-district projects take into account travel within the latter while working on acceptable density and compactness. Soft mobility such as cycling, walking, and public transport such as car sharing or carpooling are favored to reduce dependence on cars. The integration of soft mobility is done by the implementation of service developments such as significant access to bicycles in public spaces, limiting car parking, adapting public spaces to facilitate access to the district and within the district or even the development of restricted parking spaces on the outskirts of eco-districts, far from homes and offices. The " Danube " eco-district in Strasbourg is a perfect example where car parking is very limited or the number of car parking spaces provided for residents of the district is 1 space for 2 households. This limits internal traffic but also allows the development of new types of spaces more favorable to the lifestyle of residents: increasing the size of housing influences their travel practices, in fact, the proximity of parking increases the frequency of car use.

These developments will give rise to different mobility practices depending on the involvement of residents and, for example, the acceptable walking distance according to them. In Belgium, for example, it is 300 to 600 meters. This distance is much greater in Romania.

Social reflection on community life

Group housing is a feature that many of Germany 's pioneering eco-neighborhoods, such as the French Quarter, Loretto, or Mühlenviertel, have in common. Loretto's group housing has also led to the creation of neighborhood associations and a nationally recognized festival. As this type of housing is becoming increasingly popular, prices per square meter are constantly rising, attracting a middle-class population.

Criticism, controversy

The architect Rudy Ricciotti, winner of the Grand Prix National de l'Architecture in 2006, considers the concept of an eco-district to be empty and sensationalist to the point of describing it as an "abominable term" and adding: "it is an approximate political slogan, backed by a lot of ignorance and cynicism ".

Others believe that the concept of eco-district makes sense when it comes to urban renewal, but contradicts itself when it comes to developments that destroy a natural or semi-natural environment. And some are surprised to see the emergence of rural eco-district projects, that are very disconnected from services (public transport or train station, school, food, health). If the concentration of housing and human activities is less ecological than the distribution of the population in smaller towns [ref. needed] (energy-consuming buildings, food imports), the behavior of the inhabitants influences the final quality of the district (eco-citizenship, with the use of clean transport, waste sorting, development of self-energy and pooling of resources, etc.).

According to a 2013 study, in France, eco-districts often reproduce errors made by designers of new towns. The "carte blanche" given to them does not encourage them to take sufficient account of the needs of residents and (in the case of eco-districts) of sustainability conditions (biodiversity, energy, adaptation to climate change, etc.). Thus, according to sociologist Michel Bonetti, co-author of the guide "recommendations for the design and management of an eco-district: HLM organizations involved in sustainable development", "We are seeing the emergence of forms whose social functioning is very problematic, such as urban planning on slabs, the development of buildings with corridors, the creation of closed blocks and complex block centers, with an increase in the number of crossings. So many forms that are often prohibited in urban renewal projects" with public spaces sometimes confused with private space, contradicting the approaches undertaken in urban renewal. 

The objectives of energy efficiency and good water and waste management remain relevant in eco-districts, but their architectural design sometimes seems inappropriate, for example with aesthetic exercises intended to be modernist with uniform facades or almost "blind" building bases. Bruno Bessis believes that in these cases, these are not real eco-districts, but according to him, "the strength of the 'Eco-district' label is precisely that it does not propose a model". Like new towns, these districts leave a certain amount of space for nature, but take little account of the inhabitants who only arrive there after construction and are forced to adopt urban forms and lifestyles close to those of usual urban projects.

Voices are also being raised to denounce the recovery of the concept by "architect promoters" whose projects only partially respect the notion of eco-district and may even ultimately contribute to increasing the ecological footprint (unreasonable travel, unplanned local shops),,.

Furthermore, the creation of these new districts must not mask the need to completely renovate our cities and above all to change the behavior of residents by encouraging exchanges and consultation (ecological, political, economic) in existing districts.

Several authors denounce the use of the term eco-district for marketing purposes, for projects which remain above all real estate operations,.

Limits of eco-districts

Abandoned or “failed” projects that no longer deserve the name eco-district

For various reasons, some eco-district construction projects never see the light of day. Others are not perceived as fully fledged eco-districts. Here are some examples:

The Songdo district in Incheon: This new district, built from 2003, is now located around a 41-hectare park. In 2003, the Birds Korea association called for the work to be stopped because of the loss of the mudflat which sheltered several species of endangered birds and served as a stopover for migratory birds. The district was finally built and presented as a model of sustainable development thanks to its numerous facilities and its buildings with high environmental qualities built according to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.

The development of the Confluence district in Lyon: The Confluence was a vast metropolitan extension project in the South of Lyon. To transform this site and make it an innovative district, the municipality of Lyon focused its offer on urban developments (leisure and shopping center, opening of the Musée des Confluences or hosting major cultural events). However, a certain political fragility between citizens and developers did not allow for a smooth operation with envisaged partnerships. Although certain points seem advantageous such as new jobs, multimodal transport or better environmental quality and better energy performance, other points such as accessibility, parking, very high prices (the construction site reached 330 million euros when it was initially supposed to cost 61 million) but also security problems within the district did not allow the initial objectives specific to an eco-district to be met.

The BedZED district in London: With environmental, energy and social objectives, the BedZED district had conclusive results until the closure of the cogeneration plant in 2005 following breakdowns and the bankruptcy of the company responsible for its management. This plant was to supply the entire district with heat and electricity from biomass. The difficult maintenance of the site caused recurring breakdowns which did not allow the project to function properly. The buildings of the BedZED are now connected to the conventional network to supply electricity. This contradicts the ideas of the designers as well as the concept of an eco-district.

The Hedebygade district in Copenhagen: As with the BedZED district, the Hedebygade district suffered from malfunctions due to installation errors, a lack of resources for maintenance and monitoring by companies. The district did not achieve its objectives; the solar panels and the rainwater harvesting system never worked.

Best practices, recommendations

A French guide produced in 2012 makes seven recommendations:

“making the eco-district a lever for urban regeneration in the areas in which it is located”;

“activate the resources and socio-urban potential of the site and its environment”;

“rely on an articulation of urban and landscape dimensions to structure the eco-district”;

“promote socio-urban diversity based on the development of social ties and eco-citizenship”;

“design housing blocks and buildings that are conducive to good urban social functioning”;

“anticipate the management conditions” of waste, water and heat networks”;

“implement and implement a sustainable urban development approach”.

The authors of this guide invite us to differentiate between "sustainable urban planning or development projects" and genuine eco-districts which are "projects intended for residents who deeply adhere to ecological requirements, and which are truly based on their participation".

Following the evaluation (as part of a thesis) of the environmental aspects of 54 European eco-districts, mainly located in France, a software program (" Biodi(V)strict ") was developed in 2012 by AgroParisTech. It aims to help planners develop a mini-ecological network on the scale of an eco-district or a development zone.

Examples

Eco-districts can be found in the following locations:

Africa

In Africa, public and private actors have neglected urban investment in favor of the countryside, as a result eco-district models adapted to the African geoclimatic context have yet to be invented. Landscape architect Denis Targowla and Malian architect Gaoussou Traoré, together with urban planner Pascal Reysset, designed the Sébénikoro 2000 eco-district on the banks of the Niger in Bamako, one of the most successful eco-districts in Africa.

Sebenikoro 2000 (Niger)

Steyn City (South Africa)

Ksar Tafilelt: The Tafilelt Project in Ghardaïa, a city in northern Algeria in the Sahara, was founded by Ahmed Nouh in 2003. The project received first prize for sustainable cities at COP22 in Marrakech and can therefore assert itself as a model of ecological urban planning in the North African region. Tafilelt adapts to its environment thanks to its architecture made of materials (stone, lime, and plaster) with good thermal inertia and sourced from its local environment. The entire project is built using ancestral methods based on the region's Ksourian architecture. Its dense urban planning adapts to the Saharan climate, favoring shaded alleys and protecting them from the prevailing, sandy winds. Modernity is inserted into the project by "the introduction of the "courtyard" element to increase the lighting and ventilation of the home as well as the enlargement of its interior spaces" (A. Nouh). This alliance between modernity and tradition is tinged by an "act of militancy" responding to a housing crisis shaking the region in 2000. This project, claiming to be non-profit, aims to offer land at reasonable prices as a priority to families as well as to women with children or dependent parents. The city is governed by a charter signed by each inhabitant, aiming to make them responsible for the environment. The cleanliness of each block is ensured by a household. Environmental education also involves the compulsory planting of three trees by each owner.

Germany

Vauban Freiburg im Breisgau: Built on a former military base, the Vauban district, built in 1996 near Freiburg in Germany, has become the European showcase for eco-districts. The 34 hectares of this district include 2,000 homes and 600 jobs. This neighborhood of 5,500 inhabitants emphasizes a large number of ecological innovations. Created by residents as a "short-distance neighborhood," Vauban residents are gradually reducing car use to leave the streets to the children. This Carfree model involves the removal of parking spaces on the outskirts of the neighborhood and a restriction on car traffic. Conversely, an efficient public transport offer (bus and tram) is offered to residents with a car-sharing system. Vauban is located 3 km south of Freiburg im Breisgau city centre, a 15-minute cycle ride away, which limits the need to take the car to access the city centre.

The Kronsberg district in Hanover: First phase of construction between 1997 and 2000. Today 7,300 people live in Kronsberg in 2,600 apartments, 150 condominiums and about 400 individual dwellings. This project was integrated into the European development program as part of the EXPO 2000 world exhibition. A special fund was created to finance the infrastructure of the new district, the municipality agreed to spend most of the income from the sale of land on the development of the area. This made it possible to benefit from high-quality infrastructure from the first phases of the project (schools, residential areas, gardens, "KroKuS" community center) as well as landscape elements with a strong identity (reforested areas, artificial reliefs, central square, rainwater retention system). All the dwellings are low-energy dwellings that consume no more than 55 kWh per m² per year for heating. Wind energy is the main source of renewable energy used in Kronsberg, making it a typical example of a high environmental quality district; however, it does not fully meet the definition of an eco-district in terms of diversity and neighborhood life.

Canada

Drake Landing Solar Community, an eco-neighborhood built in 2007 that provides over 90% of its annual heating needs from solar energy.

Technopôle Angus (Montreal), an eco-district under construction in 2020-2021 whose main feature is the presence of an energy loop between the industrial and commercial sector of the project and the residential sector. This feature allows the capture of heat generated by industries during the day and its redistribution by a hydraulic system to the nearby residential district for use at night while residents are there. Conversely, since the heat from the residences has become obsolete during the day, since the workers are no longer there, it is redistributed to the industrial premises, thus closing the energy loop. The district also has rainwater management with the integration of retention and absorption measures such as "swales", permeable parking lots, floodable areas and landscaping allowing the absorption of rainwater.

In Quebec City, there are three eco-districts: Cité Verte, Pointe-D'Estimauville and Pointe-aux-Lièvres,,,.

In Montreal, there is the Éco-quartier program, which is deployed in 16 boroughs and which aims to promote eco-citizenship by implementing environmental actions (green alleys, awareness, clean-up chores, etc.),. Several eco-neighborhood projects are underway: Lachine-Est, on the banks of the Lachine Canal, Louvain-Est in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Namur-Hippodrome in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce,,.

China

Dongtan

Tianjin Eco-city

Liuzhou Forest City

Caidian Wuhan

France

Developed eco-districts

Here is the list of eco-districts identified by the French State:

Auxerre (Yonne): the Brichères district was renovated to be transformed into an eco-district. Thus, three towers were destroyed, making way for one, two or three-story homes and the tower blocks were renovated. The city of Auxerre remains economical in the renovation of its various districts and its quays. The project was finalized in 2009 

Bordeaux (Gironde): the Ginko eco-district covers approximately 32.30 hectares, bordered by the banks of Lake Bordeaux. Work began in 2010.December 18, 2014, Sylvia Pinel, Minister of Housing, Territorial Equality and Rurality, awards the EcoQuartier label to Ginko.

Brétigny-sur-Orge (Essonne): the Clause-Bois Badeau eco-district has been under construction since 2009; until around 2025. It is expected to accommodate nearly 8,000 residents near the Brétigny-sur-Orge RER station.

Fresnes (Val-de-Marne): at the end of 2014, the La Cerisaie eco-district was inaugurated and can accommodate 850 homes.

Grenoble (Isère): the ZAC de Bonne, eight hundred and fifty housing units. Eco-district on the site of the former Bonne barracks and awarded the national Eco-district grand prize by the Ministry of Ecology onNovember 4, 2009. This district stood out from the other candidates by integrating all dimensions of sustainable development: the social and societal axis, the economic axis and the environmental axis.

Mont-de-Marsan (Landes): Peyrouat eco-district, developed between 2010 and 2014.

Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin): Wagner eco-district, started in 1999, completed inNovember 2011. From 2000 to 2004, two-thirds of the six hundred and thirty-five social housing units spread across thirteen five-story blocks, built between 1956 and 1958, were rehabilitated and two hundred and thirty others were demolished. In 2005, construction began on five real estate programs of seventeen residences for housing with a wooden frame and recycled and recyclable materials, meeting sustainable development standards. One hundred and sixty-eight housing units on nearly four hectares, under the direction of the architects Ott and Colin (winners of Europan 5, the 1997 architecture program).

Rennes and Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande (Ille-et-Vilaine): the La Courrouze district, which was awarded the “EcoQuartiers” label by Cécile Duflot, has been developed since 2005. Covering an area of 140 ha, the project provides for 4,700 homes for 10,000 inhabitants in 2020, 115,000 m2 of offices, 30,000 m2 of facilities (schools, dedicated transport lanes, metro right-of-way), 20,000 m2 of shops and 40 ha of green spaces.

Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin): the ZAC du Danube. This eco-district has been under construction since 2013; until around 2020. It covers approximately six hectares.

Projects

Jean-Louis Borloo entrusted MP Bruno Bourg-Broc, president of the Federation of Mayors of Medium-Sized Towns (FMVM), with the presidency of the Commission for Analysis and Support of the Sustainable City Plan in 2010, which studied the applications for the Ecodistrict and Ecocity calls for projects (for the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea).

394 projects applied for the second call for Ecodistricts projects (2011), including nearly 90 from municipalities with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, and approximately 180 applications from municipalities with 2,000 to 20,000 inhabitants. More than 100 projects are in the operational phase, 140 in the pre-operational phase. 50% are in a renewed city (without urban extension, partly on urban wasteland). The results are expected for autumn 2011.

Here are the main projects currently underway:

Asnières-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine): The Quartier de Seine Ouest, scheduled for completion in 2025, is being developed on a 16-hectare former industrial wasteland. The program consists of housing (more than 2,000), a hotel, three service residences, offices and activities, shops and services, a nursery, a school group and a central urban park of more than 1.5 hectares which connects the multimodal hub to the Seine. The eco-district integrates a generosity of green space and landscaped areas, preservation and development of biodiversity (including bird nesting boxes on the towers), traffic calming, the installation of a geothermal district heating network... 8,000 m² of roofs are dedicated to urban agriculture (4 types of use spread over 51 roofs), which makes it one of the largest urban agriculture programs developed in France in terms of surface area. The Quartier de Seine Ouest was designated in 2017 as the winner of the call for projects "One Hundred Innovative and Ecological Neighborhoods", launched by the Île-de-France Region. The operation also obtained the ÉcoQuartier stage 2 label (eco-district under construction) in 2020.

Avignon (Vaucluse): a project has been under discussion since 2009 in the south of the city, but the municipality and local residents are still opposed to some of the directions.

Arpajon (Essonne): The Les Belles Vues eco-district project was initiated in 2009. Covering an area of 56 hectares, this eco-district obtained its HQE Aménagement (High Environmental Quality) certification in 2015.

Besançon (Doubs): Vaites eco-district, along which a TCSP will be built, notably with the future tramway.

Bordeaux (Gironde): three eco-districts under development. The Ginko eco-district on the banks of Lake Bordeaux is a complete development of a new district, on the edge of the lake, integrating HQE and BBC collective housing, public transport, cycle paths, local shops, social diversity. Another eco-district is in the project phase: the renovation of the Niel block (Bordeaux-Bastide district), a former barracks which will become a pilot zone around ambitious environmental concepts. The "Les Akènes" eco-district (La Ramade district) in Lormont, also under construction on the former Siemens industrial wasteland, offers a development project with high environmental quality combining social and functional diversity: housing built under the BBC label, installation of a biomass boiler (wood/gas), soft paths, public transport service on its own lane, offices, shops and local services, a park, a varied ecosystem.

Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine): the Boulogne-Billancourt eco-district in the Trapèze district. This eco-district has an area of 74 hectares and will be able to accommodate up to 18,000 inhabitants upon completion. This eco-district has the national eco-district label (MEDDE). Only thirteen eco-districts received the MEDDE label in 2013. Geothermal energy provides 65% of the energy in the Trapèze district, which makes it possible to heat and cool the buildings connected to this energy network. With a view to making this district dependent on renewable energy, the installation of photovoltaic panels and a plant greenhouse will be carried out to cool the buildings with this installation. In this neighborhood, an elementary school and a kindergarten will have facilities that are atypical of other schools, such as a green wall, birdhouses, an orchard and a vegetable garden. Students in these schools will also have the opportunity to practice English for 1.5 hours a day. Bicycle travel and "soft" transport will obviously be used as a priority by residents in order to reduce pollution caused by cars and other transport that does not use electricity to operate. This eco-district must meet specific criteria in order to keep the eco-district label, as explained above in this article.

Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais): creation of an eco-district to replace the industrial wasteland located behind the main station.

Bourges (Cher): Baudens eco-district on the site of a former military hospital.

Cabestany (Pyrénées-Orientales): First eco-district in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. The district is currently under construction and is located in the “Les Hauts du Moulinas” area.

Caen (Calvados): The Caen Presqu'île project, initiated in 2010 and which should be the subject of a Major Interest Project (PIM), aims to gradually reclaim 600 hectares of industrial wasteland by building an eco-district that aims to be innovative and gives pride of place to soft transport. Around 7,000 homes are planned, straddling Caen and the municipalities of Hérouville-Saint-Clair and Mondeville (Calvados). The work, already underway with the construction of new facilities (TGI, Salle de musiques actuelles, media library, etc.) should continue with the construction of the first homes during 2018.

Cholet (Maine-et-Loire): Val de Moine eco-district.

Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme): two eco-districts: Trémonteix (Delivery from 2014 to 2020) and Champratel.

Colmar (Haut-Rhin): Amsterdam sector, Europe district, second half of 2011 to 2013.

Courcelles-lès-Lens (Pas-de-Calais): the urban community of Hénin-Carvin, the town of Courcelles-lès-Lens (Pas-de-Calais) and Nexity Foncier Conseil (ISO 14001 certified) are developing an eco-district, Le Domaine de la Marlière, on an area of 6.8 km2 which will eventually accommodate around 1,230 homes. This national-scale operation will manage rainwater, improve the site's biodiversity, preserve the soil, use renewable energy, and implement high environmental quality (HQE) builders. The social and economic aspects of the operation will be highlighted with the creation of housing for first-time buyers, to which will be added 20% social housing, the creation of service premises and local shops, the completion of part of the work by young people in reintegration, etc.

Créteil (Val-de-Marne): several eco-districts are under construction, particularly around the L'Echat district.

Douai (North): the ZAC du Raquet in 2006, a very large eco-district of 12,000 inhabitants, combining social and ecological concerns because it is associated with an ANRU sector and will be served by the second tram line and 15 km of cycle paths; a canal and a green and blue network will allow the management of rainwater on site (zero discharge) and to maintain and restore ecological corridors; the CAD (Douaisis urban community), under the presidency of Jean-Jacques Delille, is leading this project with Florence Bougnoux, architect-urban planner associated with the Seura agency, representative of the project management team. The first public spaces and buildings meeting very high energy performance standards, associated with the use of renewable energies, should be delivered in 2009.

Dunkirk (North): eco-district project of more than 400 homes, in Grande-Synthe, with houses according to the advice of Bill Dunster (inventor of Bedzed) prefabricated delivered in kit form, (RuralZED house designed by ZEDfactory), with FSC- certified laminated timber frame, with 25 m2 of integrated solar panels and “natural ventilation with heat recovery without the need for electricity”; ZAC de Bonne (National Grand Prix for eco-districts). The initial apparent additional cost should be repaid in ten years by energy and operating savings. To encourage the widespread use of eco-districts, the AGUR (Urban Planning Agency) distributed advice sheets in 2009.

Grandvilliers (Oise): Chantereine district.

Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine): the Chandon République eco-district is located on the seven hectares of the former site of the ETG / Renault establishments, historically Chausson (car bodywork) and on two hectares of the Calmette site, part of the existing housing of which will be preserved. The Chandon-République eco-district project was the winner of the "New Urban District" (NQU) call for projects from the Ile-de-France region, reflecting the quality and ambition of the project while opening the right to financial assistance for the implementation mainly for public facilities.

Herbiers (Vendée): Val de la Pellinière eco-district.

Issy-Les-Moulineaux (Hauts-de-Seine) : creation of the digital eco-district in 2015.

Haguenau (Bas-Rhin): Thurot eco-district.

La Teste-de-Buch (Gironde): to the south of the Arcachon basin, has committed to creating an eco-district on the site of a former hospital, using a nearby oil well as a source of geothermal energy. This will cover 80% of the energy needs for heating.

Le May-sur-Èvre (Maine-et-Loire), Baronerie eco-district, created in 2014.

Lille (North) announced inMarch 2006the creation of an eco-district from 2007. Shortly after, an eco-district charter of Lille Métropole Communauté urbaine was proposed by the urban community. The eco-district of the Zone de l'Union (80 ha) will be a pilot zone; its feedback and that of other projects supported by LMCU will be used to establish the content of the charter. At the end of 2009, the urban community announced that around fifteen eco-districts are in the pipeline.

Limeil-Brévannes (Val-de-Marne) has begun construction of a positive energy eco-district on a former stone quarry: Les Temps Durables.

Merville (North): in partnership with Nexity Foncier Conseil launched the marketing inMarch 2007of the Les Jardins de Flandres eco-district, which will house 350 homes with a focus on social diversity and sustainable development.

Metz (Moselle): The eco-district Les Coteaux de la Seille in the south of the city on the banks of the Seille River began its construction at the end of 2012. Its urbanization is governed by a partnership agreement aimed at obtaining “Habitat & Environment” and “NF Logement” certification. It will be able to accommodate 4,000 inhabitants for around 1,600 homes. It will include shops, infrastructure, green spaces and cycle routes. In the northern districts of the city, construction of the Sansonnet ZAC also began in mid-2012. This is based on sustainable urban planning and includes a landscaped park with various gardens.

Montpellier (Hérault), eleven eco-districts are currently built or under construction: Les Grisettes 20 hectares, Ovalie 35 hectares, Malbosc 38 hectares, Jardins de la Lironde 41 hectares, Jacques-Cœur 10 hectares, Rives Gauche 9 hectares, Parc Marianne 29 hectares, Consuls de Mer 8 hectares, République 20 hectares, Nouveau Saint-Roch 8 hectares, La Restanque 95 hectares.

Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), three eco-districts are currently under construction: " Bottière -Chénaie" built on former market garden wasteland (developed until 2014), " Saint-Joseph de Porterie " developed on 45 hectares with 1,400 homes in the long term and "Prairie-au-Duc" on the island of Nantes, along the boulevard of the same name.

Oulmes (Vendée) Les Écluzis, a rural eco-district located in the south of Vendée between Fontenay-le-Comte and Niort. Les Écluzis shows that eco-districts are not the preserve of large cities. The aim is to better manage agricultural land and reduce the consumption of natural areas.

Paris is following the same movement with the concerted development zone occupying the site of the former Boucicaut hospital (ZAC Boucicaut) in the 15th arrondissement; the architects Philippe Ameller, Jacques Dubois and associates on the one hand, and Philippe Guthmann on the other, have already completed nearly two hundred housing units there, : creation of the eco-districtNovember 23, 2015. In order to share more than ten years of experience in favor of the climate, Paris Batignolles Aménagement published, on the occasion of COP21, a document presenting all the measures adopted by the eco-district. There was another eco-district on a smaller scale, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris: Fréquel-Fontarabie.

Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales), three eco-district projects, including one in the Pou de les Colobres area which concerns 2,000 homes, and distinguished by the national label “Projets d'Avenir”.

Pont-Audemer (Eure), future eco-district of Cartonnerie.

Ramonville-Saint-Agne (Haute-Garonne), Maragon-Floralies eco-district, under construction since 2014.

Rouen (Seine-Maritime): including two projects, the 92- hectare Flaubert eco-district to the west of the city on the left bank of the Seine, and the 9 - hectare Luciline eco-district, also to the west of the city on the right bank of the river. 

Saint-Étienne (Loire): the Desjoyaux eco-district is part of the urban renewal program financed by the ANRU. The Société d'équipement du département de la Loire (SEDL), delegated project owner, entrusted the architect Frank Lebail of the NOVAE agency with the design of this project located in an existing urban fabric in place of industrial wastelands and unsanitary housing. This project is remarkable on the one hand because of its location on a hillside generally facing due north (requiring in-depth consideration of the location, organization and orientation of the buildings) and on the other hand because of its proximity to the city center (renewal of an old, degraded fabric allowing the reinvestment of a neglected district and the development of diversified modes of transport).

Sarrebourg (Moselle): Gérôme eco-district, on the site of the former Gérôme barracks.

Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin) is involved in two eco-district projects. The first is the Danube eco-district, which plans to provide 700 housing units for delivery by 2020, located near the ZAC Étoile, in an urban "requalification" zone extending from the city center to the German border. The second concerns the breweries eco-district located on former industrial wasteland; it will include 450 housing units for delivery by the end of 2012.

Tours (Indre-et-Loire): winner of the 2011 Ecodistrict competition, the Monconseil ecodistrict, currently under construction until 2021. Begun in 2006, the development work focused primarily on the creation of a one-hectare public garden, a structuring element of the overall development plan. All housing must be Habitat & Environment certified. Located in the heart of the northern part of the city and the urban area, this district is intended as a new center of gravity to reduce urban travel. The major themes concern the urban form in relation to the surrounding neighborhoods, the different modes of soft transport, water management, waste management and energy expenditure control. The developer is Tour(s) Habitat (OPH), within the framework of a concession agreement with the City of Tours.

Toulouse (Haute-Garonne): Cartoucherie eco-district, labeled inDecember 2017 

Japan

Funabashi Morino City

The Netherlands

Utrecht (the Eva Lanxmeer district in Culembourg)

United Kingdom

London (the BedZED district), United Kingdom

Suede

Malmö (BO01)

Stockholm (Hammarby Sjöstad)

Vastra Hamnen

Switzerland 

Bern: The Oberfeld eco-district plans to build two hundred homes on 7.5 hectares of agricultural land close to the city. Work is expected to begin in 2010.

Geneva: Currently, the former Artamis site in the La Jonction district is undergoing a four-year remediation phase to allow for the construction of an eco-district in the area known as Carré Vert. The city of Geneva launched an architectural competition, which ended in February and was won by the Lausanne-based firm Dreier Frenzel Architecture & Communication for the Social Loft project.

Lausanne: an eco-district of 2,000 homes is planned on an area of 30 hectares in the north of the city (the Pontaise-Blécherette eco-district. Start of the participatory process in 2008. A popular initiative was filed in 2008 against part of the Lausanne municipality's project. It concerns part of the perimeter planned for the eco-district. The initiative was rejected by nearly 56% of the Lausanne population onSeptember 27, 2009. The urban planning competition for the eco-district could be launched in 2010.

Lausanne, Renens and Prilly: the Malley eco-district plans to accommodate 2,800 homes and 8,000 residents-employees on 70 hectares spread across the three municipalities. Work is planned from 2010 to 2020.

Meyrin: an eco-district called Les Vergers is located in this Geneva commune. 1,350 homes spread across 30 buildings are planned in the long term.

Neuchâtel: ecopark, Minergie district (42 kWh/m2 / year) comprising 91 homes. Completed in 2007.

Zurich: the Sihlbogen eco-district will house two hundred homes. Project area: 87.7 hectares

Sourced from Wikipedia