French Sustainable Neighbourhoods and Social Mixing: From Housing Diversity to Ecological Standards
Social mixing has been one of the fundamental principles of sustainable French neighbourhoods. This goal relies on specific assumptions, in terms of the social composition of neighbourhoods and projected ways of living. This paper aims to analyze the way in which social mixing is designed and conducted in these neighbourhoods, the resistance of users and the representations of inhabitants. The analysis of two French neighbourhoods in Rennes and Auxerre shines light on presuppositions in the implementation of a social mix in sustainable neighbourhood projects. Beyond their traditional arguments, project leaders also put forward the affordability of these neighbourhoods and their will to limit the urban sprawl by offering family alternatives to individual houses. These ambitions are rendered difficult by the need to offset the extra-costs of ecological constructions. An interview-survey reveals the inherent paradoxes of social mixing in these sustainable neighbourhoods. In both examples, the pursuit of a social mix faces a conception of sustainable development based on living standards, leaving little room for the inhabitants’ diverse practices.