5. Building and urban planning

5.1 Combating urban sprawl

Local authorities are faced with the economic, social, and environmental consequences of urban sprawl. Urban planning must now prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions, controlling energy demand, conserving fossil fuels, and controlling network expansion costs, which are heavily influenced by urban sprawl. With nearly 79,000 hectares of agricultural land converted each year, France consumes proportionally more land than its demographic growth requires. Every ten years, an area equivalent to the size of a department is lost to natural and agricultural spaces. Another objective is therefore to curb the artificialization of land (agricultural and natural areas). In addition, the remoteness of housing leads to difficulties in accessing public services...