Introduction to Grand Lyon s practices

Transcription

1 Introduction to Grand Lyon s practices During the morning presentations, experiences within Grand Lyon were linked to principal themes of the Aqua-add project: stakeholder involvement, added values of water and future challenges. Public participation and stakeholders' involvement processes and methods in Grand Lyon Mrs. Jeanne CARTILLIER gave an introduction to public participation in Grand Lyon. The presentation focuses on the involvement of citizens, but we can also distinguish: political governance (communication and negotiation between elected members), partners involvement (involvement of the various partners of the project, such as other authorities and organisations), public marketing (study of the needs of citizens and public service users). The first public participation policies were developed in the 1980s, and laid down in the French law since Since 2002 France uses a system of Neighbourhood Councils (Conseils de quartier) and Advisory boards of local public services (Commissions Consultatives des Services Publics Locaux). The establishment of such Councils, composed of inhabitants or associations, is obliged by law. Each local political authority is allowed to choose its own public participation strategy. In general, the Neighbourhood Councils don t have the right to make decisions, but they can advise the local authority. Hence, the Councils are the link between the local authority and the population of the neighbourhood. To illustrate: in the City of Lyon, there are 34 Neighbourhood Councils, involving more than 2500 inhabitants. We can distinguish four levels of top-down public participation: Information: sharing information on a project or a situation (one-way communication, transparency) Consultation: collecting views, opinions and proposals to clarify the decision-making process Participation (concertation): dialogue process with face-to-face argumentation and explanations on a project. Participants have an active role, their opinions are used in an iterative, non-linear process with the local political authority and its interlocutors. The final decision remains with the political authority. This strategy is used in many urban projects in Grand Lyon. Important is to tell the rules of the game at the beginning and to assure a traceability of the process. 2/15

2 Empowerment/ co-production : co-construction of the project and direct involvement in decision-making Within its own organisation, Grand Lyon organises several activities to improve the skills of the employees, to facilitate public participation and to create an internal network to exchange experiences. We noticed that: When we re talking about stakeholder involvement in water projects, this often concerns the involvement of other professionals. It is noticed that watersolutions have to be communicated and explained very carefully, to other professionals as well as to citizens. Reference guides (with examples and explanations) can be a useful tool. There a many techniques available to involve stakeholders in an interactive way, such as open air stakeholder meetings or social media to consult young people. Not only public participation (involvement of citizens) in water projects could be improved, also the communication with and participation of other departments or stakeholders could be further developed. Discuss the own project with external experts can change the point of view. Sharing and exchange knowledge, working simultaneous across all stages of project development to implementation creates ownership, social capital and sustainable solutions. Climate Plan and (rain)water strategy Mrs. Luce PONSAR guided the participants through the Climate Plan of Grand Lyon, and several other researches and measures regarding climate mitigation and adaptation. Important for the political awareness was the heat wave in France in 2003, which caused deaths. This was 60% above the average number of deaths (in Lyon + 80%). This created extra urgency for the development of Agenda 21 ( ), with the fight against greenhouse gasses as one of main themes. The climate mitigation strategy is elaborated in the Climate Plan, presented in 2010, and the related Energy and Climate Action Plan in The political acceptance of the strategy took some time, also due to the confusion about the concept of mitigation and adaptation. Grand Lyon participated in the European AMICA project, with the aim to develop local and regional strategies which adopt a comprehensive approach to climate change. Within the framework of this project, some research to the heat island effect has been done. Additional modelling will be done in an innovative partnership between ADEME (ministry for Energy and Environment), 3 municipalities and 3 urbanism agencies (Lyon, Grenoble and St Etienne). This partnership will produce 1 map to be used for zoning (Urban Development Plan 2015) and will model 3 districts based on on-site 3/15

3 temperature measures. Since 2 years, all meteorological data are available by Meteo France, on a 5x5km grid. For the three cities, more detailed maps will be made. On a more practical level, Grand Lyon investigates which kind of trees should be planted (resilient to climate change) and how trees can limit the urban heat effects. As an indicator, Grand Lyon makes a yearly analysis of the surface of tree coverage. This shows, among others, that the number of trees is doubled between 1992 and Another idea is to use zoning of heat in the Urban Development Plan. This is not brought into practice yet. First it should be calculated how many green roofs etc. are necessary to reduce the temperature in this heat zone. A temperature reduction of only 0,5 C can already safe many lives. The current Climate Plan doesn t contain any climate adaptation or water related measures; therefore another plan will be developed, focusing on water and green. «Agenda 21» action plan ( ) Fight against the greehouse effet is one of the 5 axis AMICA project (2006) «adaptation and mitigation, an integrated climate policy approach» 2007 : vote of the «3x20»objective consultation 2011 : Energy and Climate Action Plan 200 Actions, 50 partners 2010 : Climate Plan (diagnostic, scenario) consultation : operational measures on mitigation, definition of adaptation action plan Subsequently, Mrs. Elisabeth SIBEUD explained Grand Lyon s (revised) water strategy. By 2030, 300,000 new residents are expected to arrive in the city of Lyon, including 150,000 in the metropolitan area. The city aims at a more intensive model of urban development: densification and better serviced by public transport. Objective: to build a "city of short distances", sober on energy. Two axes regarding water: Quality: how to control the quality of the effluent discharged to the aquatic environment? > effluent of wastewater treatment plants, of the combined-sewer-overflows, the overflow of rainwater sewers and basins, and rainwater discharged directly from private property, roads Quantity: how to both preserve our rainwater supply and organise affordable maintenance? > including the acceptance and limitation of the risk of flooding, drought and heat islands. Since a long time, limiting flood risk is a major concern of the community. However, future climate change also reminds us of the need to adapt our territory to other possible consequences, such as the water scarcity, increasing rainfall intensity and rising temperatures (+ heat islands). Without measures, the consequences of densification of the city can be the same as those of climate change! A multidisciplinary working group (experts in town planning, urban ecology, water, green spaces and roads) made an analysis of risks and solutions. Using GIS, an inventory is made of: 4/15

4 Areas vulnerable to flooding by rivers, by the rise of the groundwater level or by surface runoff (during exceptional rainfall), and heat islands. This risk map is confronted with maps of: Current and former rivers, underground (buried) or not, urban development and road projects, existing vegetation (with a need for water to preserve the vegetation) and areas with a lack of green spaces (with a need for new nature nearby). This exercise allowed identifying areas with several constraints, where multifunctional solutions will be most effective. For example creating new green zones next to roads or reopening streams. A particular idea is to create a new river, which could be fed by (unused) groundwater which is continuously pumped up at an existing underground car park - this could create a new urban walk, and would be a drain for the neighbourhood runoff during rainfall events. The working group agreed that rainwater in the city could enhance ecological services, and that stormwater management and green space should be combined. This could be promoted by introducing a rainwater tax or by requirements for construction projects in the Urban Development Plan (such as a biotope coefficient, to oblige non-built up area in urban projects), possibly focusing on vulnerable locations such as kindergartens. Grand Lyon has realised a few good examples, such as the public park Jacob Kaplan. These examples are important for the marketing and promotion of sustainable urban draining systems, such as rainwater gardens and green roofs à 30% Decrease of the Rhône. Need to preserve all resources (groundwater, rain, streams) We noticed that: Fighting climate change asks for a mitigation policy (reduction of greenhouse gasses) as well as an adaptation strategy. Water and green are important ingredients to adapt to the changing climate (heat, heavy rainfall). An integrated approach is necessary, in order to find multifunctional solutions in urban areas. Mapping the (climate) risks/ vulnerability helps to focus and to find the most effective solutions. Several partners are working on heat stress, and it would be interesting to exchange experiences about the measuring techniques (what is working, what is nice to have), how to valorise the data (connection with air pollution, etc) and potential risks (such as the effect on insurance rates) 5/15

5 Introduction to the project Lyon Confluence Lyon Confluence was long restricted to industry and transport facilities, but is now undergoing a transformation that aims at its renewal into a downtown district, including a project of sewer network rehabilitation. The project aims at increasing the population in this peninsula to inhabitants by 2030, and to build new leisure and cultural infrastructures that should create new jobs as well as new green/blue space. The project Lyon Confluence comprises two planning phases: Confluence 1 Saône side concession, covering the Phase One redevelopment area (ZAC 1) and the adjacent Saône-side redevelopment. The Phase One redevelopment area, covering 41 hectares on or near the Saône, began in Final completion of Confluence 1 Saône side is scheduled for Confluence 2 Rhône side, covering Phase Two (ZAC 2) and the Perrache and Sainte Blandine quarter. 6/15

6 In the first phase of Lyon Confluence, water and green are integrated: Cours Bayard and rue Casimir Perier and rue P. Montrochet: here, excess rainwater is conveyed via swales and discharged into the Saône. The aim of these swales is to restore rainwater to the natural environment while limiting pollution, as slow natural filtration takes place en route. However, the stocking capacity of the swale is limited, so limited filtering too. Parc de Saône with water basins: the vegetated public spaces in La Confluence resemble the natural vegetation of the Saône river banks. The basins aim at connecting the inhabitants and visitors of Lyon Confluence to the water. Although the basins function very well from this aesthetic point of view, the techniques could be improved. The water basins are fed by groundwater (using a pump), instead of rainwater or surface water. Place nautique: This is a newly created water body in the heart of Lyon Confluence. It serves as an attractive recreational area. In the newly developed area, the existing (old) combined sewer system is replaced by a separated sewer network. This decision was facilitated by the fact that the rainwater can be discharged in the Saône, just around the corner. These experiences show that water and green spaces are attractive elements in the built environment. However, there are also some lessons learned which will be improved in the second construction phase of Lyon Confluence. In the first phase, water and green are successfully designed, but separately instead of integrated in the overall urban plan. Therefore not always the best solutions are chosen, for example regarding the basins in the Saône park, which are fed by groundwater (pump) instead of rainwater (natural). In the second phase, there will be special attention for: Improving the natural environmental quality (enhancing the receiving bodies water quality and protect the water resources), for example by incorporating rainwater-harvesting systems and by limiting the us of water by selecting appropriate tree and plant varieties; and to supply them with water from rainwater stocks Reducing investment and operation costs of technical solutions Integrating stormwater management in the cityscape. This is also expressed by the WWF Sustainability Principles, which are adopted for the second phase of Lyon Confluence. These principles are elaborated in the Sustainability Action Plan. Sustainable water management is elaborated in three objectives: 1) Reduce drinking water consumption; 2) Manage stormwater; 3) Maintain the water table and the water quality. For the construction of new buildings in Confluence, Grand Lyon acts as a developer: it buys and sells the land and the constructors have to follow its requirements. In the second phase of Lyon Confluence, these guidelines will follow the Sustainability Principles. Examples are a certain percentage of green roofs, 7/15

7 using rainwater for the toilets or a CO2-reduction (balance energy). In the new zones, where a complete sewer network reconstruction is necessary, a separate sewer systems will be constructed. Further reading: We noticed that: The first phase of Lyon Confluence shows some good examples of disconnecting (separate sewerage system), retaining (swales) and reusing stormwater (natural landscaping) in the newly developed residential areas. It would be interesting to investigate whether legislation could/ should oblige this. Nonetheless, some elements could be improved in the second phase. There is a lot of public space, of which a lot is paved (wide sidewalks etc). It is suggested that this paved public space could be changed into green space. Furthermore, some swales are created in the first phase, but are not functioning as retention. This could be corrected in the first phase, or better integrated in the design of the second phase. The second phase of Lyon Confluence adopted a more sustainable approach, among others by agreeing to the WWF Sustainability principles. It is recommended to define targets for climate proof developments too and to connect climate change adaptation goals to the development of Lyon Confluence (2 nd phase). Also, it could be interesting to incorporate a monitoring plan, to evaluate the environmental effects (hydrological, thermal) of the green and blue systems in this area. This also allows making adjustments/ improvements. Introduction to the project Saône River Banks The Saône Rives development will allow the Grand Lyon "reconnect" with the river by the development of a pedestrian walkway that crosses 14 municipalities, including 5 districts of Lyon. By 2013, 15 km of the 22 km will be ready. The project has several objectives: To develop a pedestrian promenade, which highlights all the faces and features of the Saône, close to the water, as continuous as possible and accessible to all Protect the environment by valuing the natural spaces and stretch the nature of the Val de Saône up to the heart of the urban area while developing several educational activities Strengthen and consolidate the river banks Bind public places by connecting banks to districts and villages Develop a big artistic project to consolidate these new public places and reveal the Heritages of sites. Along the river banks of Grand Lyon, several artists will work together Further reading: (in French) 8/15

8 We noticed that: The improvement of the Saône river banks is a one-of-a-kind project, due to its dimensions and the rapidity of design and implementation. The project connects aspects of landscape, environment, recreation and (the force of) water. It will need a specific maintenance, to keep the area in a good condition for all uses. When completed, it is expected that the attractiveness of the river to the citizens will increase. 9/15

9 Alternative rainwater management techniques in Porte des Alpes and Jacob Kaplan The planning process of the site Porte-des-Alpes took place in the period 1990 until The first constructions works started shortly after. The park is home to high-added- value companies in such advanced sectors as biotechnology, environmental science and information technology. Enterprises are very willing to have an office in Portes des Alpes, because of the attractive environment. Therefore, the number of companies and the number of employees working in this area is still increasing. Nowadays, the park is in use by 150 firms with 6,500 employees (in 2012). This site shows the result of good cooperation between urban developers and water specialists, which resulted in an innovative and sustainable development. Until today, the initial partnership still exists and shares that specific management (rainwater management system) and regular assessments (i.e. biodiversity) are important. In the park, several alternative techniques for (on site) stormwater management are used. Run off water from rooftops, car parks and roadways are channelled towards storm water trenches and ditches before joining collectors and finally lakes. Rainwater is collected on site by retention basins, connected to infiltration basins where the rainwater replenishes the groundwater. This means that water resources are preserved. The system cleans the rainwater and carries out a preliminary decanting of suspended particles. The risk of flooding is limited. 10/15

10 The Atelier LD is situated in the Cité d Environnement: an energy-neutral building with several small enterprises. Atelier LD is specialised in landscape architecture combined with (rain)water engineering. It places ecology and environment in the centre of all projects. To illustrate the importance of careful water management in a project, the atelier promotes the visibility of rainwater and tries to value water as a resource. Rainwater recycling Infiltration Plant filter Sewage recycling 11/15

11 The park Jacob Kaplan (or Parc de la Buire) is completed in The park has a surface of approximately 5000 m². It is located on a former industrial site. For Lyon, it is a very special park because of the integrated hydraulic measures and the use of rainwater. The water basins are fed by the roofs of the surrounding buildings (apartment buildings and school). Subsequently, the water is used for the fountain and to water the vegetation. The park won the Grand Prix for urban design, landscaping and environment of the Département du Rhône and the Conseil d Architecture, d Urbanisme et de l Environnement du Rhône. Retention- and infiltration basin Recreation basin with fountain Garden with playground equipment Distribution structure Rainwater storage to supply recreation basin 12/15

12 We noticed that: It is possible to find multifunctional solutions, which integrate rainwater management and other uses of the public space. A key to success for is cooperation between experts in multidisciplinary project teams. Private initiatives and investments, such as the Environmental Centre (Cité d Environnement) should be encouraged. Great to see motivated private companies taking care of the environment! Especially Porte-des-Alpes shows that green/blue public space increases the (economic) attractiveness of an area. Although it s a very popular area for enterprises, the community pays for the maintenance of the park. It is suggested to look for new business models - How can we better share the costs of investments and the daily maintenance of multifunctional stormwater management systems? 13/15