France/Ille-et-Vilaine eco-district wins COP28 award
The La Niche aux Oiseaux eco-neighborhood in La Chapelle-Thouarault near Rennes won the international grand prize at the Green Solutions Awards on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
The competition highlights "sustainable and real solutions" in the fields of architecture, urban planning and infrastructure. It was held as part of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP28), which runs in Dubai until December 12, 2023.
Already recognized in July 2023 by the French Green Solutions Awards, the Niche aux OIseaux eco-neighborhood in La Chapelle-Thouarault (2,300 inhabitants) near Rennes, has just won the international grand prize in the "new districts" category.
Organized by Construction 21, a network of experts committed to sustainable construction and cities, the prize is awarded to neighborhoods considered exemplary in sustainability and committed to carbon neutrality.
A "sustainable and controlled environment
The awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, December 5, at COP 28, currently underway in Dubai. Mayor Régine Armand was able to follow the ceremony live via Construction 21's Youtube channel, and representatives of urban planners Sitadin and landscaping company Jourdaniere were present in Dubai to receive the award.
"La Niche aux oiseaux ZAC, launched in 2009, stems from the desire of the elected representatives in place at the time to propose urban expansion, while at the same time densifying the housing proposal in a quality landscaped area, namely preserved bocages. Small plots in large green spaces", recalls Régine Armand.
From the outset of the program, preservation of the site and protection of bird habitat have been a priority: hedges have been preserved, coppice and thickets have not been destroyed. A partnership has been set up with the French League for the Protection of Birds (LPO), which created a bird sanctuary on the site in 2013. At the same time, public spaces have been planted and awareness-raising activities are regularly carried out with residents.
The neighborhood, built as an extension of the "village center, retains the commune's rural identity, with a green corridor that allows for the development of soft mobility". It offers a mixed population mix and favors the construction of modular wood-frame houses and ecological housing.
Notoriety and recognition
This grand prize "gives us a form of notoriety and recognition for the exemplary work we've done over the last few years", comments Régine Armand. But that wasn't the point of all this," says the mayor with a smile. Our priority has always been the 'good life' of our residents".
Source: www.msn.com/
