Ile de Nantes
Geographical area: Europe
Location: Nantes, France
City size: Medium (between 250,000 and 1,000,000 inhabitants)
Promoter: Municipality of Nantes
Developer: Société d'Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique
Start year:
End-year:
Implementation phase: Implementation in progress
Project size: Neighborhood
Total area of intervention (in sqm): 3.370.000
Total investments (in USD): -
The Ile de Nantes is a small island located at the center of the Municipality of Nantes crossed by the Loire River. The regeneration initiative aims to convert a brownfield spanning 3,370,000 sqm into a mixed-use neighborhood with residential buildings, commercial and offices spaces, cultural activities and public services. The island was created by the artificial junction of different natural islands as part of the work to develop a port surrounded by industrial activities between 1800 and 1900. The port has been active until the industrial crisis of the late 1980s, which brought naval activities to cease. After the abandonment of industrial activities, the area started to be discussed for redevelopment to reintegrate it within the urban fabric of the city. The establishment of the spontaneous cultural district Quartier de la Creation within the abandoned industrial buildings pushed the Municipality of Nantes to start the redevelopment process by exploiting the presence of artists and creative companies present on the island. Despite the creation of these cultural activities, most of the area was still abandoned, leaving a vast and central area of the city unused. The project thus aims to redevelop the former industrial area to reuse the old port site and reconnect it to the urban context of the city. The local development company SAMOA (Société d'Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique) was established to plan, design and implement the entire regeneration of the Ile de Nantes. Initially, SAMOA was created as a Société d’Économie Mixte with both private (40%) and public (60%) shareholders. In 2007, the Schéma de Cohérence Territoriale (SCoT) was approved and defined the entire Nantes territory as an eco-metropolis, with the Ile de Nantes as the main regeneration project. The SCoT is an urban planning instrument employed by the Municipalities to identify large urban redevelopment projects considered important to the urban context development. Right after the approval of the SCoT, the local development company SAMOA changed its legal status into a SPLA (Societé Publique Locale d'Amenagement) with the shares entirely owned by public entities. The planning and implementation of the regeneration initiative have been divided into two distinct project phases. The first phase saw the participation of the architects Alexandre Chemetoff and Jean-Louis Berthomieu to conduct the architectural and design works and ended in 2010. The planning and design of the second phase will continue until 2030 and is led by the architect and urban planner Marcel Smets and the architect Anne Mie Depuydt. The regeneration project refurbished several buildings to host educational institutions and cultural venues, attracting artists and creative firms to move into the area. In addition, the project redeveloped and improved the buses and tram networks, together with implementing new pedestrian paths and bicycle lanes. The implementation process and the construction work of both phases have been and will be entirely conducted by the public company SAMOA. The implementation phase of the initiative has been divided into two distinct phases, with the first one creating a built area divided between 330,000 sqm of residential buildings, 250,000 sqm for various activities and 100,000 sqm allocated to services including the School of Architecture. The second phase of the implementation will provide an additional 40,000 sqm of public services, 320,000 sqm allocated for various activities and services, 8,000 new residential units, 120,000 sqm of urban parks, and the new University Hospital Center. As a mixed-use development neighborhood, the Ile de Nantes will see the construction of residential buildings, commercial and office spaces, urban parks and recreational areas, as well as public facilities and educational institutions. The goal of the initiative is mainly to revitalize the Ile de Nantes communities by attracting new residents and private investments. A total of 13,500 new residential units will be built, with social and economic housing options already established. The project also involved local communities and residents to gather ideas and consensus on the redevelopment of the area. The regeneration will significantly improve the connection of the island with the city, strengthening the public transportation system and providing sustainable mobility options. As part of a wider environmental strategy of the city, the establishment of new green areas and the improvement of sustainable mobility options helped the Municipality of Nantes to reduce its CO2 emissions and air pollution, leading to the title of European Green Capital in 2013.
Land use zoning
As a mixed-use development regeneration initiative, Ile de Nantes encompasses several different land classes. A major part of the entire redevelopment is dedicated to residential buildings which will host approximately 13,500 new housing units, currently developing an area of around 330,000 sqm. The 5,500 dwellings built during the first phase are divided between social housing (25%), economic housing (17%), and free market housing (58%). The 8,000 residential units envisioned for development during the second phase will be allocated to social housing (25%), economic housing (25%), and free market housing (50%). In addition to residential units, the regeneration project allocates 670,000 sqm to services, commercial, spaces, institutional and educational buildings, as well as 40,000 sqm for public services. The public services area includes the relocation of the courthouse, the new University Hospital Center, the Faculty of Architecture, the Arts School, and the Movie School and Campus. The project will also allocate more than 120,000 sqm to urban parks and green areas, with a total of 630,000 sqm of public and open spaces.
Economic
The regeneration initiative of the Ile de Nantes had some important benefits on the local economy. The establishment of several cultural venues and educational institutions attracted artists and creative organizations which started to move and work in the area. The new artistic wave increased the overall attractiveness of the area, fostering private investments and benefiting the local economy. The increased attractiveness also brought a new influx of tourist, and Nantes gradually became one of the most important cultural centers in France.
Environmental
The major environmental impact is the implementation and improvement of sustainable mobility options by strengthening the public transportation system to reduce emissions from private traffic and car usage. The Ile de Nantes initiative will also redevelop the abandoned green areas of the island and create new urban green spaces including the Parc des Chantiers and the Machines de l'Ile, the Jardin des Fonderies, the Quai François Mitterrand and the Victor Schoelcher footbridge. The total green areas will cover more than 120,000 sqm of surface. The implementation of nature-based solutions and the investments in sustainable mobility are focused on reducing CO2 emissions. In fact, the redevelopment project helped the Municipality to reduce its per capita emission levels to 4.77 tons of CO2, compared to 5.56 tons on national average. In addition, the Municipality increase all air quality which is now within the limit levels. The redevelopment project helped the Municipality to reduce its carbon footprint and achieve important emissions reduction, contributing to earn the title of European Green Capital of 2013. Lastly, the Municipality participated as Project Lead in the European Program CONCERT. The project helped to demonstrate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of district- and community-level energy efficiency actions.
Social
Certificates
The project did not receive any certificate. However, the environmental efforts of the redevelopment project helped the Municipality of Nantes to earn the title of European Green Capital for 2013.
Funding source
Initially established as a SEM (Société d’Économie Mixte) operating under private law, SAMOA (Société d'Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique) has been funded employing both public and private resources. From the public side, the local development company received funding from the Metropolitan Government of Nantes, the Municipality of Nantes, the General Council of Loire Atlantique, the inter-municipal authority CARENE (now Saint-Nazaire Agglomération), the Regional Government of Pays de la Loire, the Mixed Mayor of the SCoT, the Municipality of Rezé and the Caisse de Dépôt et Consignation (public deposit fund). The Ile de Nantes regeneration also received resources from different European funds, namely ECCE Innovation to promote cultural activities and CONCERTO to foster energy efficiency interventions. In addition, the redevelopment of the island benefitted from the national programmes Liber’Tan and French Ecocité. From the private side, funding resources came from a variety of shareholders including banking institutions, landowners, local chambers, and port authorities. SAMOA initially operated as a public-private entity (SEM) with approximately 60% public and 40% private ownership, facilitating both public oversight and private investment.
Financing and economic instruments
The local development company SAMOA have been financed with direct government and public grants from a variety of public institutions, as well as from resources and investments from private shareholders when it operated as a public-private company. To facilitate the implementation of the project, the public company gradually acquired the ownership of the former industrial plots, with the acquisition set to be completed by 2037. The project area has been established as ZAC (Zone d’Aménagement Concerté), thus the local development company employed both acquisition and expropriation to gain ownership of the land. In addition, the company acquired and merged different land plots acquired from private owners to follow the redevelopment masterplan. Lastly, SAMOA employed private resources to finance the realization and renovation of public spaces.
References
AUDIS (2020). La rigenerazione urbana in Europa. Dalle aree dismesse a nuovi spazi di vita e lavoro. Available here.
SAMOA official website. Accessed on 12/07/2024. Available here.
European Commission (2012). Environment: European Green Capital 2013 – Nantes, France. Accessed on 12/07/2024. Available here.
Credits
Image from homeloop, retrieved here.