Change the cities by renewing their districts?
In a context of structural changes and urban renewal, the Day of the Cities organized on 24th August 2011 by the Swiss Cities Union, focused on the theme of the neighborhood as a core identity and catalyzer of urban development. The Ecoparc Project, a pioneer experience in the integration of sustainability on the scale of a neighborhood, was presented on this occasion by Prof. Emmanuel Rey from the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) and Mr. Olivier Neuhaus, architect and urban planner for the City of Neuchâtel.
Many urban districts are experiencing a rapid development. This is reflected throughout the area and places the various stakeholders in front of major challenges. Whether it results from a visionary planning or an organic growth, the quality of some neighborhoods is declining. They can sometimes turn into areas of risk, but also contain new opportunities.
In the perspective of sustainable cities, it is up to researchers, policy makers and practitioners to find ways to leverage local resources to create added value in a spatial, environmental, sociocultural and economic frame and generate a denser quality. Neighborhood development can hence significantly contribute to urban renewal.
As a new pole created on an urban disused area near the railway station of Neuchâtel, the Ecoparc district is in this sense a real urban laboratory, the presentation of which illustrates the issues related to the operational integration of sustainability into the design process.