Creating sustainable towns and cities requires a cross-cutting vision and in-depth knowledge of urban development.
Nearly half of the world's population lives in a city, and one person in seven lives in an urban area with more than a million inhabitants. This unprecedented urban development, which is continuing in emerging countries and resulting in urban sprawl across Europe, causes widespread environmental and social harm and is prompting governments and local authorities to consider more rational development solutions. One of Sogreah's key objectives is to contribute to creating sustainable towns and cities that meet the economic, social and environmental challenges of the coming years. Sogreah has been working in urban and regional development for half a century, and we use our expertise to help our clients define their projects and design and perform all the works required in a sustainable manner.
- Urban infrastructure (roads and utilities)
- Urban development zones and eco-districts
- Upgrading and renovation of buildings
- Energy management (DSM)
- Urban transport
- Urban renovation and brownfield regeneration
- Public amenities and leisure facilities
- Greenfield developments
Urban infrastructure (roads and utilities)
A properly functioning town or a successful urban development scheme depends on the managing authority's ability to plan it, drawing on adequate high-quality, modern infrastructure (roads, sewerage, water, gas, electricity, telecommunications, data processing, etc.). Sogreah's teams, who have been involved in completely rebuilding a number of towns and provided assistance in this field in numerous cities in France and abroad, are now highly skilled in creating, renovating and modernising traditional infrastructure and implementing innovative concepts and original solutions geared to local contexts.
At the outset, urban transport plans centred on keeping traffic flowing smoothly and organising car parking, but nowadays they aim to reduce pollution, preserve air quality and save energy, by encouraging the development of public transport and alternative ways of getting around (walking, cycling, etc.) and promoting a harmonious, balanced approach to urban planning (social integration, combined uses, etc.). In addition to performing traffic surveys, producing traffic plans and improving signage and parking, we are now increasingly involved in public transport projects (tramways, reserved-lane bus networks, rail services and multimodal hubs), while striving to optimise economic and environmental aspects for the community and meet clients' and users' needs.
Urban development zones and eco-districts
Urban planning has evolved considerably in recent decades, and numerous housing development concepts have been tested during this period. We are highly experienced in the engineering aspects of urban development zones, housing schemes and new towns, and contribute to creating amenities that comply with sustainable development objectives. We use our broad-based skills in urban development, environment and energy to design residential, recreational or commercial amenities that are pleasant, blend in with their surroundings, have minimal environmental impact and foster social integration.
Urban renovation and brownfield regeneration
Many towns and cities have expanded under pressure from population growth or industry and in difficult economic and social conditions in which the urgent need to produce goods and provide sufficient housing took priority over a host of other issues. Considerable efforts are now underway to renovate run-down urban areas and regenerate industrial sites that have fallen into disuse. We use our extensive civil engineering and site remediation expertise to assist our clients with their rehabilitation and redevelopment projects.
Upgrading and renovation of buildings
Tremendous progress has been made in the field of buildings, and this has been underpinned by tougher safety, accessibility, thermal insulation and soundproofing regulations. The services Sogreah provides for public- and private-sector clients in response to these changes include assessing buildings (structures and networks), upgrading them to meet current standards (fire safety, disabled access, electrical installation compliance, etc.), restructuring facilities and improving building energy performance.
Public amenities and leisure facilities
The main role of a town is to provide a complete range of functional, pleasant public amenities and facilities. We have more than fifty years of experience in this field, and now draw on our extensive network of branch offices and subsidiaries to help local authorities of all sizes develop squares, promenades, sea fronts, parks, cycle tracks, cemeteries, sporting and leisure amenities, facilities for travellers, etc., and blend them into the urban fabric through concerted development schemes. We also have particular expertise in the illumination of outstanding urban features or symbolic monuments.
Many towns and cities are striving to implement energy policies to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and reduce their energy dependence. Sogreah assists them in this process, which is aimed at reducing consumption and changing consumer behaviour. Thanks to our knowledge of electrical systems engineering and renewable energy we have a clear vision of the performance of the available technologies and can make pertinent contributions in numerous fields (public lighting, photovoltaic energy, cogeneration, demand-side management, etc.).
Large-scale greenfield tourist or urban developments (new towns, tourist villages, marina villages, sea fronts, etc.) call on more than just broad-based technical knowledge; they also require a precise, comprehensive vision of the issues at stake and structures to be built and solid experience of project management. We take the management of large-scale regional development projects such as residential and holiday complexes in our stride, contributing to their inception and providing design and project supervision services thanks to our skills in urban development, energy, hydraulic and maritime engineering and the environment.
Dominique Volot
Managing Director Urban Development
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