French medium-sized cities: diversity, distinctiveness, and public action in contexts of urban decline
Julie Chouraqui (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne / UMR Géographie-cités) defended her thesis, under the supervision of Professor Sylvie Fol (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), entitled “Les villes moyennes françaises, diversité, spécificités et action publique en contexte de déprise urbaine” on 1 December.
Members of the jury
Vincent Béal, Maître de conférences HDR en science politique, Université de Saint-Étienne – Examinateur
Annabelle Boutet, Cheffe du pôle Prospective, veille, innovation, Agence nationale de la cohésion des territoires – Examinatrice
Anne Bretagnolle, Professeure de géographie, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne – Examinatrice
Sylvie Fol, Professeure d’urbanisme et aménagement, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne – Directrice
Frédéric Gibert, Responsable du programme Action cœur de ville et du plan commerce, Banque des territoires (Caisse des Dépôts) – Examinateur
Joël Idt, Professeur d’urbanisme et aménagement, Université Gustave Eiffel – Rapporteur
Frédéric Santamaria, Professeur d’urbanisme et aménagement, Université Grenoble Alpes – Rapporteur
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to describe the forms of urban decline observed in some of France’s medium-sized cities and to understand the driving forces behind them, by combining global and local scales of analysis. The concept of urban decline is developed in order to explore the diversity of spatial configurations and combinations of demographic, economic, social and built environment vulnerabilities that can be found in medium-sized cities. This diversity is approached through quantitative data analysis methods. These have enabled us to distinguish between different profiles of urban decline and to highlight the contrasts within medium-sized cities, where the centre and the periphery are, in the majority of cases, undergoing opposing trajectories.
Situations of urban decline are considered in relation to the reshaping of contemporary forms of uneven development, and viewed as the product of global economic, social and political restructuring. In particular, public policies are placed at the centre of the analysis. At the local level, they are studied by means of an investigation of planning and urban policies in Soissons, Forbach, Blois and Narbonne. Medium-sized cities in decline appear to be particular contexts for political action, generating difficulties or obstacles that can contribute to an understanding of the processes of decline.
The analysis of changes in national spatial policies is another key to the comprehension of decline in medium-sized cities. The reconfigurations of the State’s spatial intervention are studied in particular through the Action cœur de ville programme, a public policy that targets medium-sized cities. The analysis of the emergence and implementation of this public policy is based on a multi-level investigation combining observation and interview methods, which uncovers the limits of this public policy, which is characterised by the weight of austerity.
