The redevelopment of brownfield sites along the Rhône must balance the needs and constraints of a city and its river. Based on this idea, a group of architects from the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies at the EPFL has developed a corresponding handout for policy makers.
For their study, the researchers selected two locations in Switzerland (Sion in the canton of Valais, and Geneva) and two in France (Givors and Avignon), according to a statement. The group then developed three custom-designed, architecturally different visions for each neighborhood. In total, they identified more than 1,400 neighborhoods in transition along the Rhône. Here, the researchers see enormous potential for the development of derelict sites, such as those abandoned by companies when they abandoned waterways.
Unlike most research, the study did not look at urban areas as a whole. “Our approach is different in that we tackle urban development and planning issues on a smaller scale, focusing on individual riverside neighborhoods,” explained Lab and study head Emmanuel Rey in the statement. “Our tool provides a more granular, decidedly local picture of what opportunities the river offers and how it interacts with the city,” continued Rey. “In this sense, it makes the case against generic planning.”
The new evaluation method with its 18 indicators was applied by way of example to one of the case studies – the Geneva neighborhood La Jonction. This showed how the indicator for the energy transition represents whether a particular vision is in line with the canton's overall strategy. At the city level, it can be used to evaluate plans for shuttles, pedestrian bridges, or other aspects of river transportation. At the neighborhood level, it provides information such as whether river water could be used to heat or cool buildings. mm
