Cross sector links

Land use practices, urban planning, buildings -it is to say the management of the built environment- have a large range of direct and indirect environmental, social and economic impacts that implies a cross-cutting approach.

Objectives of sustainable urban planning are various and sometimes look divergent: to harmonise environment and development as well as economics and ecology, creating environmentally sound modes of economic activity and achieving qualitative progress whilst protecting the vital natural resource base. These are of course long-term tasks that include a number of important policies and management objectives.

Some consequences on land consumption, natural habitats and biotopes destruction, etc. are evident but moreover all the built infrastructures and the way they are organised, thought about, built and use influence transportation performances, businesses vigour, air quality, soil pollution, heritage preservation, production of waste, noise, availability of water resource, etc. From land-planning to the construction of an individual building, from the design of the high speed railway network crossing the town to the construction of a brand new station, from cultural policies to the renovation of an old library, built environment is challenging at various scales, crossing sectors with an integrated point of view.