Like many U.S. states, France has conducted a war on sprawl that has had economically ruinous and socially harmful consequences, yet produced no real benefits, according to a new paper from the Institut de recherches économiques et fiscales (Institute for Fiscal and Economic Research). Written by engineer Vincent Bénard, The War on Sprawl: An Irrational Political Obsession shows that anti-sprawl policies have caused a six-fold increase in land prices and significantly increased housing prices. This represents a transfer of wealth from low-income people who rent and/or have recently purchased homes to high-income people who have long owned their homes and may be landlords of rented homes.
Periurbanization (urban sprawl) in Paris suburbs. Photo by Medy Sejai.
The amount of rural development that is taking place in France is greatly exaggerated, says Bénard, and none of the supposed costs of sprawl “stand up to in-depth analysis.” Sprawling areas “do not cost more for public budgets, nor are they unfavorable to biodiversity,” while “forced urban density is not a good lever for controlling greenhouse gas emissions.”
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So far, Bénard’s paper is only available in French. I have posted a translation made by Google Translate, but it is easy to find improvements. For example, Google translates the title as “The Fight Against Spreading Urban,” which of course really means “the War on Sprawl.”
Bénard has a degree in engineering and land-use planning from the l’École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l’État (National School of Public Works of the State). He has previously given a presentation about French land-use regulation at a 2009 American Dream Coalition conference in Bellevue, Washington. The Institute for Fiscal and Economic Research is a free-market think tank, roughly the French equivalent of the Cato Institute.
Interesting to see the same thing happening in other cultures. One has to wonder what really drives this. Maybe a lot of this loathing from suburbia comes from a psychological reaction to change; like they hate it a la the luddites.
I believe the driver to prevent sprawl is political power. If the city administrators can prevent sprawl, insist on density, high rises, force public transportation including such as light rail and busing from a central hub they can hold power over the residents. The cost of housing goes up, more residents rent instead of buy and become dependent on the wealthy for jobs and services.
Paris has banned cars from many parts of the city, leaving city residents stranded and unable to get around efficiently. Some have even resorted to walking or bicyling.
https://www.dw.com/en/the-seine-river-banks-in-paris-now-car-free/a-38300589