Reinventing the urban shores?
Berges du Rhône, Lyon © EPFL / LAST / JACQUES Pierre
Organized jointly by the Ecoparc Association and the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST), the Forum des transitions urbaines will be held on September 3 in the Microcity auditorium of the EPFL campus in Neuchâtel (Switzerland). Entitled “Réinventer les rives urbaines?”, this edition is part of the dynamics of the ten previous editions of the Ecoparc Forum and will be the opportunity to bring together researchers, practitioners and public authorities to examine the evolutions taking place in urban territories.
In the context of the fight against urban sprawl, the protection of the landscape, and the evolution of the place of water in the city, a new era is beginning to bring about new equilibriums between rivers and urban territories they cross. Some urban shores are proving to be suitable for new uses in a renewed relationship between water and the city. This potential is expressed especially when these shores are connected to public transport networks and present significant opportunities for urban regeneration.
Beyond questions specific to technical and territorial measures, several landscape, urban planning and architectural issues question the approach to be adopted for the development of urban shores. The objective of the forum will be to provide participants with an overview of these essential issues, innovative approaches and pioneering experiences linked to the evolution of urban shores with a view to transitions towards sustainability. The rich program of speakers is proof of this, with the participation of Frédéric Bonnet (Obras), Amélie Noury (Atelier Parisien d'Urbanisme), Bertrand Vignal (BASE), Olga Bolshanina (Herzog & de Meuron), Brigitte Philippon (Philippon - Kalt) and Nicolas Michelin (ANMA).
The Forum des transitions urbaines promotes knowledge transfer and exchange between people from different backgrounds, notably from the academic world, the public domain, and the private sector. This biennial event approaches from different angles an important theme for the future of our built environment and provides participants with an overview of the issues, solutions and experiences related to the evolution of practices towards greater adaptability in a sustainability perspective.