For a city on a new scale (Pour une Ville de Nouvelle Mesure)

Why this topic

The pace and intensity of present-day change mean that traditional norms and values of all urban interaction need to be reassessed. Current developments in the fields of information, communication, production and trade, increasing environmental concerns and the unstated requirements of the interaction between these different factors will result in a picture of new networks of urbanity, a new view of the city. It is no longer a question of simply making improvements on the existing city or the equilibrium it includes. As they are now, neither the cities nor these districts will make it possible to encourage the economic, political, cultural and spiritual development necessary for survival and equilibrium and dynamism of our societies. Cities have to be fouinded on a new scale.

Aim / purpose of the working party

To develop ideas about how cities need to be founded on a new scale, new in terms of the way their land use is arranged, new in the way people behave and act in the life of the city. “The city on a new scale” must consider all aspects - technical, social, political, cultural, economic etc – that detemine interaction and production in an urban community.

Target group

Anyone – professionally or otherwise - interested and concerned about the future development of towns and cities. The working group depends to a large measure on multidisciplinary support.

Brief overview of past activities / publications

The working party was particularly active between 1993 and 2004, meeting regularly, contributing to IFHP congresses and publishing material including a 36 pp book in English and French “For a city on a new scale” / “Pour une Ville de Nouvelle Mesure”, published in 2001.

A short summary of the working party’s activities:

• 1993 presentation at the Helsinki Congress on « Tomorrow’s city » led to the setting up of the working party.
• 1994 Luxembourg: meeting on the theme "The Foundation of a city".
• 1995 Berlin : discussions on the theme « For a city on a new scale ».
• 1996 Mouchard et Arc et Senans / Centre International du Futur : discussion on the theme »Building the city on a new scale »".
• 1997 Paris: meeting of the working party with the Secretary General of IFHP to define a new working programme.
• 1998 Paris, Brussels & Rotterdam/The Hague: meeting of the working party to start preparations of the report "Rotterdam 2000".
• 1999 Luxembourg, Belinzona & Lyon: Three meetings to elaborate in detail the report to be presented to the IFHP congress in Rotterdam in 2000 on new concepts of the city to face the changes taking place in our society.
• 2000 Paris, Lyon et Rotterdam: meeting of the working party at the Rotterdam World Congress  
• 2001 Lille, et  Barcelone: meetings at the IFHP Congress; publication of the above mentioned book.
• 2002–2004: five meetings of the working party in Strasbourg, Paris & Brussels.

Planned and future activities

None 

Language

French 

Composition of the group

Président: Claude Tréhin.          France
Secrétariat: l'Association pour une ville 

Working Party members
Jacques Wybauw                     Belgium
Pierre Sauveur 

Yves Bernabeu                        France
Cynthia Ghora-Gobin
François-Olivier Mordohay
Jacques Marchal
Jean-Claude Nouël
Janine Guenardeau
Michel Junod
Claude Rougeau
Pierre Manouvrier

David Healy                             Ireland

Léon Contato                           Luxemburg

Mèna Billard                             Portugal
Isabel Costa

Michel Bassand                        Switzerland
Christina Storelli 

Contact & Information

More information

• http://www.pouruneville.com/

Last Updated @ Thursday, 10 April 2008