Construction and performance. A new road map

It's commonplace to talk about the lack of new housing in major cities and the rising cost of construction. The aim of this booklet is to go beyond the alarming reports and propose a way to remedy this state of affairs. To do this, however, we need a methodology that will enable us to take a more proactive view of the situation.

The first step is to examine the status of construction. For the time being, it appears to be a burden rather than a vector of competitiveness. Conventional wisdom has come to terms with this, easily asserting that when construction goes well, it's a sign of a good economic climate. When you think about it, this passive attitude reflects the fact that the building sector has a knock-on effect on the economy, rather than a ripple effect. Yet some voices are beginning to suggest that it may be the cumbersome nature of the sector that is hampering business. A recent article in the Economist, a liberal magazine if ever there was one, goes in this direction and undoubtedly reflects an initial awareness.

In fact, if we take a step back, we can see that the construction sector is at the center of several phenomena that are characteristic of a profound change in our collective life. Three of these are worth mentioning in detail:

• the widespread urbanization of society;

• energy dependence ;

• the vernacular character of the building industry.

This will enable us to gradually draw up the elements of an essential roadmap.