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doi:10.2779/53814

European Green Capital 2013NANTES

An initiative of

European Commission

Nantes — European Green Capital 2013

Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union

2012 — 70 pp. — 21 x 21 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-25017-0

doi:10.2779/53814

More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2012

ISBN 978-92-79-25017-0doi:10.2779/53814

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European Green Capital 2013

NANTES

Photos: © Christian Konig (front cover, pages 11, 15, 44, 48, 58, 65), © Stephane Menoret (pages 18, 39),

© Christiane Blanchard (page 28), © Benjamin Juhel (pages 12, 14, 24), © Patrick Garçon (pages 8, 16, 27, 32, 40,

43, 51, 52, 54, 60, 62), © Balanca Erwan (pages 21, 56), © Valery Joncheray (pages 22-23, 35, 69),

© Giangrande (page 36), © François Delarozière (page 46), © J-D Billaud/Nautilus Nantes (page 47),

© Gino Maccarinelli (page 50), © Jordi Bover (page 64), © Cécile Leroux et Yannick Gourvil/ “Et alors” (pages 66, 68)

Table of contentsForeword 5Making cities pleasant places to work and live 5

Message from Nantes 7

Nantes is European Green Capital 2013 9

Nantes at a glance 13

Why is Nantes special? 17

A city in the vanguard of sustainable development 25

How Nantes promotes sustainable development: best policies and method 37

Nantes’ social and cultural dimension 41

Voyage à Nantes: promoting nature and culture 45

Local economic innovation on the global stage 49

International networks 53

What impressed the experts 57

Growing up green 61

The programme for 2013 63

So, imagine Nantes in 2030 … 67

5NANTES | European Green Capital 2013

Making cities pleasant places to work and live The European Green Capital Award is a celebration of cities that are rising to the challenge of

successfully combining respect for the environment, excellent quality of life and economic growth.

As last year’s winner Vitoria-Gasteiz has shown, winners are committed to improving their

environmental performance, but winning is not an end in itself. The European Green Capital Award

is not just about a trophy, it is about valuable experiences, opportunities to evolve and incentives

to do more and better.

With three out of four Europeans now living in cities, meeting the urban environment challenge

has become vital. Sound urban planning and an integrated, innovative approach to environmental

management are essential to building a sustainable urban environment, but citizens’ involvement

and commitment are crucial to its success. This is why I am delighted to see that Nantes is already

using a range of initiatives to reach citizens and encourage ‘green’ living.

In 2013, air quality will be a special focus of the European Commission’s environment policy. While

the award focuses on 11 other indicators as well, each of the fi ve winning cities to date have had

strong commitments to improving air quality, through extensive green spaces, sustainable transport

and awareness-raising campaigns.

I am certain that the European Green Capital Award will help Nantes build on its progress to date,

further develop its effi cient and clean transport network and help mobilise the city to bring more

people and organisations together to the benefi t of the environment and Nantes’ citizens. Nantes

will host the 10th international Ecocity conference and the 5th World Forum on Human Rights that

will focus on sustainable development and will off er a great opportunity to present the European

Green Capital Award’s benefi ts to an international audience.

I strongly encourage everyone to see for themselves what Nantes is doing to make Europe’s cities

better places to live in. It will pass the title to Copenhagen in 2014, but before that we have a

promising year ahead of us to discover and learn from Nantes.

Janez Potočnik

European Commissioner for the Environment


Message from NantesFollowing Stockholm, Hamburg and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Nantes is the

European Union’s Green Capital for 2013. This distinction rewards all our

eff orts in favour of the environment and rational development. It is also

an incentive to mobilise our forces to take a new leap forward: involving

public and private players, associations, and above all the citizens of

Nantes themselves who have made this progress possible and are also the

chief benefi ciaries. This European recognition shows that the ‘Nantaise’

route towards long-term development, realised collectively and founded

on good-quality public services, social cohesion and valuing natural

assets, is also a useful example for others. It is possible to choose optimism

rather than doing nothing. We must innovate, act, and decide together on

our common future.

Take the lead: to enable all citizens to get involved in this exceptional

year, be aware of the issues, express their aspirations, contribute to a

broad debate and achieve progress for our metropolis, from now to 2030.

Our city has to grow, and it is up to us to decide how.

Be infl uential: we want to share our experiences, our successes and our

quality of life with other European cities: coordinated transport networks

(Tramway, Navibus, Busway, Chronobus), air quality, waste management and

recycling, urban planning, our Climate Plan, protection of biodiversity, water

quality ... It is through working together that we will build tomorrow’s cities.

Contribute: for many years, Nantes has been committed to action to

safeguard biodiversity and combat climate change. In 2013, Nantes will host

major events like the Ecocity world summit and the World Forum on Human

Rights: crossroads for ideas and initiatives that will generate forward-

looking policies and activities capable of building sustainable cities.

Gilles Retière

Mayor of Rezé

President of Greater

Nantes

Patrick Rimbert

Mayor of Nantes


Nantes is European Green Capital 2013In 2013, the French city of Nantes holds the prestigious title of European

Green Capital.

Europe is becoming an increasingly urbanised society. Three out of four European citizens already

live in towns and cities, and that proportion is expected to grow to four out of fi ve by 2050.

Cities have to deal with many of the toughest environmental challenges facing our society today: air

quality, noise, transport, protecting ecosystems, waste management, water and energy supply, and

so on. Yet they also foster the know-how and innovation required to meet them.

Municipal authorities play a key role in protecting the environment while at the same time off ering

the best possible quality of life. More and more European towns and cities are showing real creativity

in achieving these objectives. The European Commission launched the European Green Capital

Award in order to recognise and reward these eff orts, and encourage policy-makers across Europe

to aim higher, and to share and benefi t from examples of good practice.

The Rings (Les Anneaux) by Daniel Buren is a work of art within a richly historical setting, which today forms part of an ambitious urban development scheme

The Award provides real-life examples of how respect for the environment, excellent quality of life and economic growth can be successfully combinedJanez Potočnik, EU Environment Commissioner

10 NANTES | European Green Capital 2013

How it started

In May 2006, the former Mayor of Tallinn Jüri Ratas – now Vice-

President of the Estonian Parliament – held a meeting at which

15 European cities, plus the Association of Estonian cities, signed

the Tallinn Memorandum. It called on the European Commission

to establish a scheme to reward outstanding eff orts to improve

the urban environment.

The European Green Capital Award was offi cially launched on

22 May 2008. The competition is open to all European cities of

at least 200 000 people (or the largest city in countries with small

populations).

The two-tier selection process

An independent panel of environmental experts assesses all

the applications on 12 technical criteria: climate change, local

transport, green urban areas incorporating sustainable land use,

nature and biodiversity, quality of local ambient air, quality of

the acoustic environment, waste production and management,

water consumption, waste-water treatment, eco-innovation and

sustainable employment, environmental management of the

local authority, and energy performance.

A jury then makes the fi nal selection from a shortlist of cities,

with special emphasis on candidates’ overall commitment,

communication strategy, and ability to act as a role model to

inspire other European cities.

Award-winning cities must:❙ Have achieved consistently high

environmental standards;

❙ Be committed to ambitious goals for further environmental improvement and sustainable development;

❙ Act as a role model to inspire others and promote best practices to all other European cities.

Previous winners: Stockholm 2010, Hamburg 2011, Vitoria-Gasteiz 2012.

Other 2012/2013 fi nalists: Barcelona (Spain), Malmö (Sweden), Nuremberg (Germany) and Reykjavik (Iceland).


Reaping the benefi ts

Promoting a green agenda and sustainable development helps cities to boost local growth and job

creation. Winning the title of European Green Capital also brings other advantageous side eff ects

such as increased tourism, more investment and an infl ux of young professionals. All in all, going

green can help to make cities more prosperous and desirable places to live and work.

The strategy behind the award is not merely to highlight the achievements of a few outstanding

cities. It aims to build a growing movement, encouraging all Europe’s urban areas to off er ever-

better living conditions for their inhabitants.

Europeans have a right to live in healthy towns and cities. Local authorities need to adopt policies

that improve residents’ quality of life, and reduce their own impact on the global environment. This

message is summarised in the EGCA slogan: ‘Green cities – fi t for life’.

The Eric Tabarly bridge, opened in 2011, is named after the round-the-world sailor, born in Nantes


Nantes at a glance Nantes was known as the ‘Venice of the West’ until the 1930s, when

major works put an end to fl ooding and created new transport

infrastructures. The city is located on the confl uence of the Loire,

Erdre and Sèvre rivers, 55km from the Atlantic coast, and forms the

core of the urban area of Greater Nantes. Today, it is internationally

recognised for its quality of life.

Nantes can trace its roots back to pre-Roman times. From the

19th century onwards, it became an important industrial base.

Together with the downstream coastal town of Saint-Nazaire,

it was the largest port in France – a major trading centre,

especially across the Atlantic. The river is still accessible to ocean-

going ships. In 1975, Nantes was home to some 60 000 industrial

workers – many of them in the shipbuilding sector.

With the closure of the shipyards in the late 1980s, Nantes

faced a diffi cult social climate tinged with disappointment and

despondency. The new majority had to rethink development

strategy and restore hope, confi dence and pride among Nantes’

population. This required creativity: embracing possibilities for

change and redefi ning a collective vision for the city. Believing

culture to be essential to social cohesion, Nantes made it the

central and cross-cutting focus of all its plans.

The transformation of the Île de Nantes adds a new layer of urban history, while preserving traces of the past

Facts and fi gures

❙ France’s sixth largest city with a metropolitan population of some 600 000 inhabitants

❙ France’s third city for employment

❙ Urban area: 534.9km2

❙ 24 municipalities

❙ Temperate climate with cool winters and mild summers

❙ Predicted growth to 700 000 by 2030


This approach entailed confronting the past and consciously

relating it to the future. Planners linked the city’s heritage to

their development project: converting shipyard into public

places, attracting new, high-tech industries, making culture

and art a hallmark of the city, and adopting a long-term plan for

environmentally friendly, sustainable development. The arrival

of the fast ‘TGV’ train, putting Nantes just two hours from Paris,

helped the city’s renaissance. Nantes was transformed into the

“green wonder of western France”, with a steady rate of carefully

managed growth.

Green facts and fi gures

❙ 60% of natural and agricultural areas

❙ 57m2 of green space per person

❙ 100 000 trees in the city

❙ 15% of residents use the transport system daily

❙ Winner of the Civitas Award in 2009

❙ An ambitious Climate Action Plan to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% per capita by 2020 in three sectors: residential, transport and tertiary (baseline 2003)

❙ Everyone lives within 300m of a green area in the city

City planners have set out to restore pride among Nantes’ citizens


Nantes is recognised throughout Europe for its quality of life

Nantes has adopted a long-term plan for environmentally friendly, sustainable development


Why is Nantes special? Nantes is a dynamic, forward-looking city, in which greening the

environment is one important element of a policy approach focused

on improving the overall quality of life for residents. This principle

underlies all city decision-making.

Together: ‘le jeu à la Nantaise’

Above all, policy-making is based on citizen and stakeholder involvement. At every step of the

way, the people of Nantes are consulted, in order to generate a collective spirit, and to empower

them to feel they can make a diff erence in improving their urban environment and living standards.

This applies equally to public ownership of the preparations for 2013, with local associations and

enterprises taking part through calls for projects and demonstrations of good practice.

This is ‘le jeu à la Nantaise’ – a term derived from the local football team, but now widely adopted to

signify a collective approach embodying intelligence, simplicity, determination and savoir faire – an

approach which successfully reaches its ‘goals’!

A ‘collective art work’ at the opening of the Fabrique cultural and artistic centre in September 2011

Nantes must be the most liveable place in all of EuropeTIME Magazine, 2004


Public services for social cohesion and sustainable development

In Nantes, 25% of accommodation is social housing. A high density of public services and utilities,

including good-quality transport, energy and waste management, enables the population to live

more sustainably, whatever their income.

Services are designed to encourage social solidarity – with communal family gardens, collective

composting, and community heating systems using renewable energy. Environmental protection,

improving air and water quality and safeguarding green spaces, increases the enjoyment of life for all.

The Navibus crosses the Loire

in six minutes and links the old fi shing village

of Trentemoult (Rezé) to Nantes


Dynamic growth

Nantes is a very dynamic city. The population of the metropolitan area grew by 100 000 over the last

20 years, ranking Greater Nantes as the sixth biggest French city with 600 000 residents. The same

trend is forecast over the next 20 years, with up to 100 000 more people.

The challenge is therefore to guarantee both the quality of life and sustainable land use. Maintaining

balanced development between nature and the city means fi ghting urban sprawl.

To this end, Greater Nantes has worked on integrated policies, and housing policy is coordinated

with transport policy. An ambitious transport network already allows 15% of commuters to use

public transport daily. Since the 1990s, 5 000 new homes per year have been built, especially for

lowe-middle-class households, in order to limit urban avoidance.

To tackle the urban-sprawl challenge more effi ciently, Nantes designed a common urban

planning framework for Nantes/Saint-Nazaire, called ‘Scot’ (Schéma de coherence territoriale). This

document, adopted in March 2007, set out a plan of settlement for business zones, housing zones

and infrastructure, while protecting agricultural land and natural spaces, especially the Loire estuary

and other green and blue corridors.

These integrated policies have eff ectively reduced urban sprawl. Compared with the 1990s, the

take-up of land for urban residential and mixed spaces (housing, facilities, etc.) shows a fall of

22%, whereas the construction

of housing units increased

during the same period from an

average of 4 981 per year in 1999-

2004, to 6 212. Thanks to these

policies, the Nantes/Saint-Nazaire

metropolitan area has preserved

more than 15 000 hectares of

natural and farmland spaces:

80% of its surface area.

Nantes is the fi rst French city to have reintroduced a tramway network, in 1985


Natural pioneers

As a striking symbol of Nantes’ green creativity, the Aérofl orale II

plant expedition (expedition végétale, created by François

Delarozière) will be a European centrepiece of the city’s year as

Green Capital. With its crew of scientists and explorers, the giant

craft plays host to biological experiments and discoveries.

Nantes is an ‘ambitious and growing city’, thanks to ‘the growth of research-based and high-tech jobs and prescient long-term urban planning’New York Times, September 2011

Unique selling points

In a survey, residents identifi ed three outstanding things about Nantes:

❙ The Loire River

❙ The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, where the Edict of Nantes, bringing religious freedom to France, was signed in 1598

❙ Les Machines de l’île – the gallery housing the fantastic, giant creations dreamed up by La Machine Nantes-based production company


Biodiversity is a key asset

The Loire, France’s longest river, crosses Nantes, and connects the city to the Atlantic port of Saint-

Nazaire. Through the years, it has played a fundamental role in the city’s history and evolution,

and in forging its character. Where once shipyards and docks dominated the waterfront, industrial

change means that the people of Nantes have been able to re-appropriate the river for their own

use: building new communities and protecting and restoring the special ecosystems of the Loire

estuary. The estuary is a unique environment, where citizens can connect directly with their territory

and see and ‘feel’ it in a new way. The waterways, wetlands, parks and agricultural land that make up

Greater Nantes put green and blue spaces at the heart of the urban area.

Nantes’ green spaces are home to many animals, birds, plants and insects

The Peage Sauvage observatory at the heart of the Little Amazon nature reserve is an The Peage Sauvage observatory at the heart of the Little Amazon nature reserve is an impressive wooden sculpture, built for the Estuaire 2012 contemporary art projectimpressive wooden sculpture, built for the Estuaire 2012 contemporary art project


A city in the vanguard of sustainable developmentNantes has established its green credentials over time. As industry

declined towards the end of the 20th century, city decision-makers

had the prescience to look towards another kind of urban model.

“Because we anticipated and planned over the last 20 years, Nantes

is now the kind of city that attracts people,” says former Mayor Jean-

Marc Ayrault.

Greater Nantes’ Climate Action Plan

Globally, 70% of greenhouse gas emissions come from urban areas. Nantes has made reducing its

contribution to climate change a strategic priority.

Greater Nantes’ council unanimously adopted the territorial Climate Action Plan in 2007.

The objective is to go beyond the EU’s energy and climate package and the Covenant of Mayors’

targets, to cut emissions by 30% per capita by 2020 (baseline 2003) for three sectors: residential,

transport and tertiary. It also comprises adaptation measures to limit the threat of damage from

climate change.

Nantes’ courthouse is on the opposite side of the Loire, facing the commemorative pathway of the memorial to the abolition of slavery


Residents can call a dedicated ‘hello climate’ (Allo climat) number for advice and support on ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions

A big commitment

The Climate Action Plan aims to align public policies and spending with climate-friendly principles.

But the target will not be reached without the commitment of all the metropolitan area’s nearly

600 000 inhabitants, and all sectors of society, including scientists, business, and local administrations.

A Climate Workshop, involving 150 households over one year, was just one way of drawing people

in. Greater Nantes also supports training and research to raise awareness and identify sustainable

sources of energy. It brings together companies, associations and other stakeholders to promote

action and exchange good practice. Climate counsellors give advice on how to save energy in the

private residential sector.

New eco-building techniques help to save resources, and the development of heating networks

using biomass is under way. Partners in France’s emerging off shore wind-farm market are also based

in Nantes.

The Climate Action Plan, together with an ambitious transport policy, have improved air quality in

the city, bringing all pollution indicators – NO2, PM10 and ozone – down below limit values, and

reducing CO2 output to 4.77 tonnes per capita in 2009.


Projects

Nantes and Saint-Nazaire are currently co-operating on three major research programmes on

alternative energy sources, focusing on marine hybrid propulsion, generating energy from

household waste (PREVER), and harnessing wave power (SEAREV).

From 2006 to 2010, Nantes was a partner – with the German city of Hanover – in the European

Commission’s Concerto-act 2 programme, designed especially to promote innovative ways to

generate renewable energy and manage demand.

During the Climate Workshop (June 2010-June 2011), Jean-Marc Ayrault, former Mayor of Nantes, with the 150 households who took action to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions


A city on the move

Transport is playing a vital role in Nantes’ commitments to lowering carbon dioxide emissions and

evolving a better quality of life for its citizens.

Nantes was the fi rst French city successfully to reintroduce electric tramways. Closed in 1958, the

Tramway network reopened in 1985 and today covers 42km – making it one of the longest in France

– and facilitates some 65 million passenger journeys a year. However, overall, Nantes’ inhabitants

make some 2 million journeys a day – 15% of them by public transport. So to encourage more of

its citizens to leave the car at home, Nantes is progressively introducing new, high-quality public

transport infrastructure.

The Tramway network,

reopened in 1985, is one of the

longest in France


Better buses

Launched in 2006, the Busway is one such innovation. The

Busway uses dedicated bus lanes and has right of way over

normal traffi c at junctions – thus it combines the speed of a

dedicated tramline with the lower cost of a bus system. With

15 stations spread over 7km, the Busway carries over 25 000

passengers a day and complements the 72 standard bus routes

that link the municipalities of Greater Nantes. The latest project

is the Chronobus – a next-generation public transport system

which builds on the Busway concept with structural alterations

such as road widening and roundabouts that will guarantee

rapid journey times between the city centre and its surrounding

suburbs. With four lines launched in 2012 and a further six

planned, the Chronobus will carry some 100 000 passengers a

day and more than double the size of Nantes’ transport network.

Sustainable mobility

Nantes’ objectives for a better and cleaner transport network are

set out in the Urban Mobility Plan for the metropolitan region.

The 2010-2015 plan, with targets for 2030, aims for a harmonious

balance between the private car and other, greener means of

getting around the city and region: on foot, on a bicycle, on a bus.

It also incorporates into the mix solutions such as car-pooling,

car-sharing through the ‘marguerite’ service, park and ride, river

transport, self-service cycling and experiments with folding

bikes, taking sustainable mobility as a global objective.

Sustainable mobility for all

Nantes: Urban Mobility Plan objectives for 2030

Mode of transport Today 2030

Walking 24% 30%

Bicycle 2% 12%

Public transport 15% 16%

Car passenger 10% 9%

Car driver 47% 31%

Motorcycle 2% 2%


The plan sets out a wide-ranging strategy around four axes: to

organise a city of ‘short distances’ by encouraging better spatial

balance between work, home, shops and leisure; to coordinate

public transport modes to link these activities more effi ciently;

to create high-quality public spaces that favour pedestrians and

cyclists; and to encourage and guide environmentally friendly

changes in the way people choose to move around the city.

Nantes is France’s leading city for mobility for disabled people.

Green spaces for greener lifestyles

Located on the Loire, Erdre and Sèvre rivers and close to the

Atlantic seaboard, Nantes is blessed with a variety of natural

environments, such as wetlands and forests, which extend into

the city itself.

As Nantes transforms itself from an industrial city to an eco-

metropolis, its policy of uniting the town with its rivers and

countryside – the blue and the green – is centred on preserving

this ecological heritage. The number of green and blue spaces

has grown over the last decade.

Nantes’ nature in numbers

❙ More than 250km of rivers and 53km of riverside walks

❙ 27km2 of water

❙ 47 protected plants

❙ 127 rare or threatened plants

❙ 19 protected animals

❙ 15 rare or threatened animals

❙ 4 IBAs (Important Bird Areas)

❙ 33 ZNIEFFs (Natural Areas of Ecological, Faunistic and Floristic Interest)

❙ 4 Natura 2000 areas

❙ 1 400 jobs in agriculture


Little Amazon

The Natura 2000 site ‘Petite Amazonie’, situated centrally next to

the railway station, is a prime example of this policy. Originally

a water meadow isolated from urban development by rail

infrastructure, Petite Amazonie is now a protected wetland

environment and home to a rich variety of birds, plants, aquatic

life and insects – which can be seen and enjoyed on guided tours

starting a few steps from the city centre.

Closer to nature

Some 15% of the city area is made up of 99 formal gardens,

parks and squares which are integral to the city’s lifestyle and

host a variety of horticultural and social events throughout the

year. From these green spaces, 250km of waterways link the city

to the countryside, hosting fl ora and fauna ranging from the

most common to the very rare. Management plans ensure the

preservation of wetlands and special areas like the four Natura

2000 sites. In this way, urban development along the banks of the

Loire takes account of the protection of emblematic species like

the Angélique des estuaires (Angelica heterocarpa) and the Scirpe

triquétre (Scirpus triqueter).

The à la Nantaise lifestyle

❙ 60% of land area is either agricultural or a natural or offi cial green area

❙ Nantes has four Natura 2000 sites and 33 natural zones of fl oral, faunal or ecological interest

❙ 200km of waterside walks


A ring of forests

All too often, growing cities encroach on surrounding woodland. In Nantes, it is the other way

around – the city is encouraging its surrounding woodland to move inwards and link people

more intimately to nature. The ‘Urban Forests’ project protects three woodland sites from building

development, while at the same time extending them, through land purchases and co-operation

with existing owners. By managing these diverse woodland sites – for example by reforestation and

ecosystem preservation – the project is opening ecological corridors inwards to the city to off er its

citizens wooded green spaces close by for leisure and adventure.

Farmlands are protected against urban

encroachment, and farmers get

help to fi nd land and investment


Suburban agriculture

As a metropolitan region, Greater Nantes sees agriculture as

essential to striking the right balance between urban growth and

the need to preserve natural spaces. In this, it is helped by the

diversity and productivity of regional agriculture which includes,

among other sectors, cattle rearing, dairy production, market

gardening and, of course, the vines that produce Muscadet wine.

Greater Nantes has 330 farms, providing 1 400 jobs. As well as

supporting the commercial success of local producers, it also

protects farmland and farmers against urban encroachment.

Nantes actively brings abandoned farmland in suburban areas

of the city back into use by helping potential farmers and co-

operatives fi nd the fi nance and land they need to set up as

agricultural producers.

An island of vision for the city

Nantes is developing old industrial sites in the city centre using

state-of-the-art principles for a sustainable urban ecology,

which combines energy-effi cient housing with green spaces and

leisure facilities to accommodate its growing population.

The Île de Nantes is an island in the River Loire, at the core of

the city. Originally the western end was home to the port and

shipyards, but these activities have moved further downriver

to the mouth of the Loire, leaving behind an industrial

brownfi eld site available for new and innovative sustainable and

environmentally friendly uses.

The island in fi gures

❙ 337 hectares

❙ 18 000 inhabitants

❙ 22 000 jobs

❙ 280 000 daily journeys


Culture is one of the elements transforming the island. Among the main attractions is Les Machines

de l’île (Machines of the Isle), bringing to life the astonishing imaginary and mechanical creations of

Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci. It is housed in the former shipyard warehouses, opened to the

public in 2007.

Today, an ambitious urban sustainable development project is under way to create an ‘eco-quarter’

on the island, including housing, gardens, leisure spaces, shops and workshops. It represents a

microcosm of Nantes’ innovative and creative vision of sustainable urban living, incorporating state-

of-the-art approaches to construction, collective transportation, recycling and renewable energy

technologies.

Urban ecology guidelines

The work that began nearly 10 years ago has profoundly changed the urban landscape of the Île de

Nantes. The project aims to provide around 1 million m2 of additional living space, including some

7 500 new housing units for 15 000 to 20 000 people – thus doubling the current population of the island.

‘Urban ecology’ principles are being applied to the whole island, and particularly brownfi eld

sites, for example by reusing the existing topsoil, installing rainwater collection and natural water

treatment systems, avoiding automated watering systems in green spaces, and ensuring biodiversity

is protected in the river. Furthermore, with an eye to promoting European energy effi ciency,

systemically reducing energy consumption and loss in housing, public and commercial buildings is a

priority. Communal hot-water networks and the installation of wind and solar electricity-generation

facilities are just some of the sustainable solutions under construction.

A will to innovate

In regenerating the Île de Nantes, the city and region are open to experimental projects that can

provide best-practice solutions for sustainable lifestyles. One such is the ‘Rubbish Villa’, the brainchild

of a local architect which, with the help of 200 volunteers, was built entirely of urban waste during

the European Week for Waste Reduction in 2010, and was used to highlight the need to avoid over-

consumption and preserve natural resources.


By 2020, the Île de Nantes project aims to:

❙ Improve the quality of life of its citizens

❙ Promote sustainable economic development

❙ Reconnect the city to its river

❙ Build 7 500 energy-effi cient homes for more than

15 000 people

❙ Create 15 000 new jobs

❙ Create and rehabilitate 150 hectares of green public spaces

❙ Improve accessibility by public transport and car-free paths

A green heart for the city

Brownfi eld sites have been transformed into recreational areas


How Nantes promotes sustainable development: best policies and method Dialogue with citizens is fundamental to preparing and implementing

environmental policies, because imposing ‘top-down’ decisions does

not get results.

Living and acting collectively

Only 6% of greenhouse gas emissions come from local public

services (drinking-water production and distribution, household

waste treatment) whereas 94% come from other activities on the

territory (heating of buildings, mobility, etc.). So making residents

more aware of how they use energy, and encouraging them to

change their day-to-day behaviour, is vital to cutting output.

Local people also have a say in the provision and orientation

of essential services, such as water, and in city planning and

land use.

Local people work together to implement Nantes’ green policies

To fi nd the right tools to raise awareness about the environment, the authorities surveyed 2 500 people on climate change:

❙ 98% had heard of it, but not all were clear about its causes

❙ 72% could identify one or more of the consequences

❙ 68% were “quite worried” about it


Climate Workshop

In 2010, Greater Nantes launched its experimental Climate Workshop (Atelier Climat), bringing

together 150 representative households to test out public policies, tackle obstacles, and put forward

new initiatives to help local people adapt their way of life. Nantes aims to be a pioneer in involving

residents in achieving the ambitious objectives of the Climate Plan, creating a ground-breaking

relationship between public policy and individual action. In 2013, the authorities will launch even

closer co-operation with citizens.

Greater Nantes also supports local projects and networks of associations:

❙ Ecossolies, launched in 2004, brings together all the actors involved in the social solidarity

economy, to co-operate in developing products and services in sectors ranging from environment

and agriculture to culture and employment.

❙ Ecopôle – the permanent centre for environmental initiatives – is a network of some

250 companies, associations and individuals working on sustainable development. It also

functions as a multimedia information source, helping to raise awareness and give advice on

environmental issues across the territory, with presentations and exhibitions targeting diff erent

audiences.

The Climate Workshop is a citizens’ brainstorming aimed at meeting the environmental challenge of, notably, reducing greenhouse gasesDavid Parpaillon, Climate Workshop participant


Family business

Greater Nantes is a partner in the ‘Families for Positive Energy’ competition in the Pays de la Loire,

showing how households can work together to reduce their carbon footprint through practical,

measurable and sociable activities. The principle is simple: teams made up of a dozen families get

together to represent their neighbourhood and confront the challenge of cutting their domestic

energy use – including heating, hot water and household appliances – as much as possible. Each

team pledges to consume at least 8% less energy than the previous winter – in line with the Kyoto

Protocol targets. What matters is working and making progress together. By the end of the 2011-2012

competition, the seven participating teams had reduced their energy consumption by about 20%.

In 2011, Greater Nantes also launched a new citizens’ initiative to cut waste. It invited volunteer

households, including single people, families with children and pensioners, to take part in a three-

month trial aimed at exploring ways to reduce domestic rubbish. Since January 2012, 90% of Nantes

citizens are able to sort their rubbish at home and get it collected from the doorstep.

The ‘Soft Mobility Plan’ (Plan de déplacements doux), adopted in December 2009 with a budget of

€40 million, aims to double the proportion of city journeys by bicycle by 2015. Nantes tries to encourage

its citizens to adopt more environmentally friendly modes of travel through informing and advising

them on diff erent options to suit their needs, for example during the annual European Mobility Week.

The food and culinary festival ‘Goûts Uniques’ invites the public to discover new taste experiences through its unusual and exciting events


Nantes’ social and cultural dimension Social cohesion, diversity and creativity are key to Nantes’ approach

to improving the environment and quality of life for residents. Social

housing has always been an integral part of town planning, and

projects for the rehabilitation and regeneration of run-down areas aim

to generate social solidarity and a collective spirit.

On the Île de Nantes, for example, the former Larivière industrial site is being transformed into a hive

of development for social enterprise and solidarity, opening its doors in 2013, with the support of

Ecossolies. Here, people will be able to get information, training and advice on setting up a company.

They can buy and sell sustainable products, and take part in debates and events.

Inspired creators

The city of Nantes is permeated by art and the artists who have chosen a shared popular culture

– the foundation of sustainable creativity. As a living entity, Nantes has developed over 20 years

to become one of the great cultural cities of Europe. Opportunities for dialogue between citizens,

including café-clubs and meeting places, enable everyone to get to know their cultural heritage and

have a voice in shaping their future.

The huge programme of action to restore the port, river, estuary, coast and the Île de Nantes has

allowed for the development of a new area at the heart of Nantes dedicated to art, creativity and

innovation, in harmony with the city’s history and its river.

Art and artists form an integral part of the city of Nantes and its dynamic, creative spirit


The Île de Nantes’ Creative Arts District (Quartier de la Création) is transforming the former site of

the manufacturing company Alstom into a cluster of creative industries: communication, design,

theatre, architecture and visual arts. It will also provide a new home for the school of fi ne arts, plus a

range of support services and public facilities, including training, research and mediation. It will be

a beacon of imagination and cultural innovation bringing new life to the city.

Creativity and innovation

In the space of 20 years, Nantes has stepped into the limelight by promoting the talents of its

creative artists and through successful events and cultural centres, including Lieu Unique, Estuaire,

Folle journée, Royal de Luxe, the Machines, Journey to Nantes, and much more. New contemporary

music venues and art laboratories like the Fabrique off er opportunities to explore emerging trends,

with networks spanning the entire city. There is a vibrant art scene and artists travel the globe,

supported by programmes promoting mobility.

Cultural diversity

Nantes is acutely aware of the role played by culture in everyday life, integration and well-being.

Nantes’ history makes it a melting pot of diversity. It fosters street cultures (Hip’obsession festival),

infl uences from abroad (Tissé métisse, European fi lm festivals, Aux Heures d’été, etc.) and supports

a major non-profi t association sector.

The city-backed project, l’Art en partage, with shared creative projects, cultural events and street

festivals in every district, has become very popular with local residents. Nantes’ Royal de Luxe street

theatre company takes its ambitious shows around the world.

It is diffi cult to think of playing a role in today’s global economy without putting the emphasis on creativity and imagination


Indeed, Nantes is a city of wondrous creations, the birthplace of Jules Verne – just one of its

distinguished citizens, together with others such as fi lm-maker Jacques Demy, cartoonist Claire

Bretécher and sailor Eric Tabarly.

The remarkable Machines de l’île helps to promote the city’s image and associate it with the power

of dreams and fantasy in the service of change. Artists François Delarozière and Pierre Orefi ce

visualised a universe freed of the boundaries of space and time, navigated by vehicles inspired by

Verne, the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci and the eccentric British illustrator Heath Robinson.

‘Made in France’ is already an established cachet, but in future, ‘Made in Nantes’ could also be a

unique distinguishing mark.

Beside the Loire, opposite the Jules Verne Museum, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins – a giant, 25m-tall roundabout created by François Delarozière – is like a 360° theatre


Voyage à Nantes: promoting nature and cultureThe Voyage à Nantes (Journey to Nantes) is a framework for grouping

the metropolis’ tourist attractions and developing high-quality,

environmentally friendly tourism and cultural services.

Nantes off ers plenty to see and do: Les Machines de l’île, the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany, the

memorial to the abolition of slavery, the Loire estuary, a selection of restaurants to suit all tastes …

The Journey to Nantes grew out of the idea that bringing these elements together and mapping a

coherent 8.5km itinerary would make the city even more attractive, not only for visitors but also for

residents eager to get to know their environment better.

Green Passport

To encourage eco-tourism in particular,

Nantes is a partner in the ‘Green Passport’,

a tool for promoting hotels, inns, campsites

and restaurants that pursue sustainable

practices. The authorities are working with

the United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) as well as the region/department of

Loire-Atlantic and local bodies, including

the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and

other stakeholders. The partners sign a charter

committing themselves to the principles of

sustainable tourism.

Nantes’ residents are the best ambassadors to the outside worldValérie Demangeau, vice-president, Greater Nantes

On the Martinière canal at Le Pellerin, Erwin Wurm’s ‘soft boat’, entitled ‘Misconceivable’, is part of the Estuaire project


The Green Passport has four aspects: governance, solidarity,

quality and infl uence. Its aim is to make Nantes/Saint-Nazaire

a role model for sustainable tourism, by linking diff erent actors

and using innovative means to protect the environment, make

the region more attractive and increase the economic benefi ts,

thereby promoting social cohesion and quality of life.

Look again

Estuaire is an artistic adventure uniting landscape, art and the River Loire, around Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. It was designed to offer a fresh perspective on the natural environment. From 2007 to 2012, works of contemporary art were placed along the 60km stretch of water between the two cities. Some of them are now permanent features of the landscape.

Aérofl orale II, the enigmatic

plant vessel built by the La Machine

company, is the emblem of Nantes

European Green Capital 2013

© F

ranç

ois

Del

aroz

ière


Art and nature

The Journey to Nantes brings

together nature and culture. In

2012, it launched a culture trail

with the subtitle: ‘The city turned

upside down by art’. According

to Director Jean Blaise, the aim is

to “off er unusual points of view

and perspectives” on the urban

environment. “Over the past

20 years, the city has undergone a

renewal,” he points out. “Today we

benefi t from a cultural panorama so

rich and diverse that other regional

capitals envy us.”

Nymphéa: spectral images from Ange Leccia, projected on to the canal waters are a feature of Estuaire


Local economic innovation on the global stage Nantes’ social solidarity economy creates an area for research and

development in socio-economic innovation.

The social solidarity economy policy (l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire) forms part of a development

approach that goes beyond basic free-market logic to incorporate both social justice and

environmental protection. An SSE cluster will open on the Île de Nantes in summer 2013, occupying

an area of about 4 000m² on a renovated industrial site. This cluster, led by the Ecossolies association,

aims to foster stakeholders’ ideas and innovations and develop jobs and services. There are plans

for 20 organisations from various business sectors, plus 20 start-ups. In all, 120 people will work

permanently on the site.

Nantes supports and co-operates with national and international research programmes on the

environment, energy and climate change, including the Aquasim European centre for research on

the water cycle.

A view over the city centre from the Brittany Tower

Higher education and research are vital elements of the spirit of dynamic innovation


From heavy industry to high-tech

Manufacturing now makes up only 11% of jobs in Nantes, with aviation and agro-food among

the biggest employers. To compensate, the city has developed greener jobs in research and new

technologies, with early investment in citizens’ access to online services – now being upgraded.

As part of the ‘Investment for the Future’ government-backed spending programme (Grand Emprunt),

Greater Nantes is joining forces with other economic partners to take part in major strategic projects.

The Jules Verne IRT (Technological Research Institute) is working to make Nantes a world benchmark

in advanced technology for complex structures and composite materials, particularly in terms of

green processes and recycling by-products and composite waste.

Canadian artist Angela

Bulloch created ‘The Zebra Crossing –

Regulations and General

Directions’, an artwork featuring

in Estuaire 2012


There are also ambitious projects in

innovative sectors of marine bio-resources

and renewable energy, adding to a signifi cant

energy infrastructure network.

❙ The new Renewable Marine Energy

(RME) sector brings research, economic

development, job creation along with an

enhanced international reputation for

Nantes/St-Nazaire.

❙ The Alstom group is setting up two nacelle

and generator plants, creating 500 direct

manufacturing jobs and 2 000 indirect jobs,

plus an R&D centre with 200 people. Alstom

is already operating out of the Nantes area,

and launched its marine energies subsidiary,

Alstom hydro, in December 2010.

Greater Nantes is the biggest funder of the

Atlanpole partnership, supporting young

enterprises in the fi eld of sustainable

development and green technology. Atlanpole

and the MER Bretagne competitiveness cluster

have signed a partnership agreement to foster

synergies and step up collaborative research

projects on marine bio-resources.

Greater Nantes and its partners are investing in advanced technologies for building complex structures


International networksGreater Nantes’ environmental success is based on openness to Europe

and the world. Thanks to its involvement in numerous exchange

networks, its support for joint action and its participation in European

projects, Nantes is helping to make the European Union a concrete

reality, shared and lived by all its inhabitants.

It is active in many European and global networks, with the aim of promoting Nantes’ model for

growth, and raising awareness of the contribution major urban centres can make to fostering fair

and sustainable development in the EU. Its international activities have three strands: cultural and

creative industries, climate and sustainable development, and social cohesion and public services.

Local government networks:

❙ Eurocities: In 2013, Nantes will be vice-president of this important network bringing together

more than 140 European cities representing a total population of 130 million. Nantes is co-chair

with Copenhagen of the climate change working group.

❙ Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR): Nantes is a member of the European

policy committee.

❙ United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG): advocating democratic local self-government.

Nantes is climate spokesperson for this global network.

Environment networks:

❙ ICLEI local governments for sustainability: an association of over 1 220 local authorities committed

to sustainable development.

The Saint Nazaire bridge spans the Loire estuary. Greater Nantes and Saint-Nazaire form the capital of western France, at the heart of the dynamic Pays de la Loire region


❙ The Covenant of Mayors: the mainstream European local government movement voluntarily

committed to increasing energy effi ciency and use of renewable energy sources.

❙ Energy Cities: with members in 30 countries, dedicated to sustainable energy.

❙ Climate Alliance: the European network of local authorities committed to the protection of the

world’s climate. Nantes is a member of the European committee.

Other signifi cant networks:

❙ International Association of Public Transport (UITP): bringing together all key players in the fi eld of

transport, including operators, industry and local authorities.

❙ CIVITAS/CIVINET network: exchanging best practice in the fi eld of mobility among European and

French cities. Nantes is a founder member.

❙ CEEP: represents general interest service providers in Europe. All Nantes’ public companies are

members.

❙ European Interest Group on Creativity and Innovation: Nantes is a founder member.

Nantes Events Centre is a space for conferences, exhibitions and

concerts


Just imagine

Nantes/Saint-Nazaire comprises an area of 1 660 km2, with a population of 800 000. In 2011,

the local authorities together launched the International Agency entitled ‘Nantes, Just Imagine’.

Their objective was to raise the territory’s profi le on a worldwide level, and to communicate its

special characteristics of off -beat creativity, controlled development and co-operation, so as to

attract international students and researchers, tourists, companies and event organisers, and to

persuade investors, business leaders and new talent to move to the area.

The Manny building is a landmark of the creative quarter, embodying two essential aspects of modern society: creativity and eco-responsibility


What impressed the experts Nantes gained its highest mark for its local contribution to combating

climate change. The city also secured good scores on the nature and

biodiversity, air quality, noise pollution and waste production and

management criteria.

The European Green Capital Award judges praised its “pioneering transport achievements”

over the last 10 years, including the new tram system, quality bus schemes, bike rental and car-

sharing facilities. In 2009, Nantes beat 57 other cities to secure the Civitas ‘City of the Year’ award in

recognition of its transport policies.

An excellent record

On noise, the judges praised the “excellent record of measures taken by the local authority to

improve the acoustical environment”. Nantes has been a pilot city since as far back as the 1980s,

and in 1993 secured the Golden Decibel Award from the French National Noise Council. Measures

include education and awareness campaigns, and integrating noise prevention into other public

policies.

In 2010, Nantes spent €14.48 per inhabitant on conserving green spaces. The city emphasises the

social and educational value of these areas, as well as their environmental importance. Some of

the initiatives include cutting down on chemical pesticides through biological pest management,

encouraging bee-keeping in the inner city – with bees acting as bio-monitors for air quality –

creating green and blue corridors, and recovering ecosystems to clean and store water. The city also

monitors its bird population, and is carrying out research on light pollution.

In 2009, Nantes launched a study of European hedgehogs in cities. This little animal – an excellent biodiversity indicator – survives in urban areas thanks to green corridors


Cutting waste and water use

Greater Nantes has a well-functioning waste-management

system, with only 11% of rubbish going to landfi ll – none of it

biodegradable. Household waste production has fallen over

the last 10 years or so. Recycling accounts for 35% of municipal

waste disposal, and energy is recovered from incineration plants.

Greater Nantes also takes part in national waste-prevention and

recycling projects.

Sustainable land use

The evaluators found a very high awareness of the problems associated with urban sprawl, with moves to increase population density and protect virgin land from development, for instance by consolidating the city centre area within the ring road, and redeveloping former industrial sites.

A lone fi sherman near Coueron on the

Loire estuary


Water consumption in Greater Nantes has been

falling per capita through a targeted water-

pricing policy and awareness campaigns. The city

has action plans for the detection of leaks and for

upgrading the water supply network and water

metering. It benefi ts from an ample water supply

from the River Loire, and so it has focused eff orts

on improving quality and expanding water-

protection zones to supply drinking water.

Original and dynamic

The experts also found much to impress in

Nantes’ dissemination programme. “Nantes’

communications proposal clearly outlines specifi c

objectives, such as publicising and sharing the

city’s innovative actions, creating networks, linking

experts from various fi elds of European research

and involving the citizens, amongst others.” It

employs a good range of communication tools

including a website, journal, fi lm shows and

posters. The judges highlighted the Aérofl orale

project as being particularly original and dynamic.

The city shows that it is eager to act as a role model

A standard price for water, agreed through negotiations with the three major providers, is evidence of equality and solidarity between all the inhabitants of Greater Nantes


Growing up greenLearning to live in an environmentally sustainable way is easier from

an early age. So Greater Nantes uses a range of initiatives to reach its

citizens early and encourage green living.

The Exhibition Centre (Centre des Expositions) is at the core of these eff orts, off ering a range of

teaching resources and activities for students from primary schools.

‘My life, my town, my planet’ is a programme based around six themes – each of them related in turn

to the global context, the local setting, and the life of the individual child. The aim is to demonstrate

the link between what is happening to the planet and to the place where they live, and their

everyday behaviour.

Greater Nantes runs additional programmes, enabling

students to visit a water-treatment plant, waste disposal

unit, or photovoltaic energy centre.

From primary school upwards, children learn to take a global perspective and care for their environment

My life, my town, my planet


The programme for 2013Nantes is planning a full year of activities throughout 2013, including

the presence of the French President at one highlight of the year, plus

international conferences, themed weeks, workshops and visits.

Two major events will be of special signifi cance:

The fi fth World Forum on Human Rights

The forum, entitled ‘Sustainable Development/Human Rights: a common struggle?’ takes place in

Europe, in Nantes, on 22-25 May 2013. Almost a year after the United Nations Rio+20 summit in

Brazil, adopting a path towards Sustainable Development Goals, the meeting will aim to keep up

the momentum, and refl ect the need for human rights to be an integral part of any sustainable

development strategy, with expanding freedoms as the foundation for transparency, better

regulation and good governance.

The ‘expedition végétale’ created by Fançois Delarozière will amaze visitors around Europe

We want to unite people around a new way of living on the planet that provides the best possible cities for people to live in while enhancing, not destroying, the biosphereEcocity Builders’ mission


The forum will examine how to achieve progress ‘Towards more

justice: for social progress, fair development and protected

environment’, and ‘Towards more social and environmental

democracy: for strengthened democratic governance’, covering

themes ranging from combating poverty and discrimination to

access to information and continuing education.

A fl ying start

The iconic expedition végétale will also help to spread the Green Capital message as it embarks on a tour of European cities, including Brussels, the home of the EU. Touching down in the heart of urban areas, it is bound to astonish and fascinate visitors wherever they fi nd it. A fl ying greenhouse? Well, why not believe in the impossible! That is Nantes’ slogan for a green future for coming generations.

Tomorrow’s cities need to unite people

around a sustainable way

of living


Ecocity 2013

It will be the fi rst time in the EU for the 10th Ecocity conference, taking place in Nantes on

25-27 September 2013. This important event brings together highly motivated, experienced and

eff ective decision-makers from around the globe to discuss the key actions cities and citizens can

take to rebuild the human environment in harmony with living systems. In the process, the aim

is to slow down and even reverse climate change, loss of biodiversity and wilderness habitats,

agricultural lands and open spaces, as well as social and environmental injustices.

The Ecocity Builders movement was created by Richard Register in Berkeley, California in 1990, and

since then conferences have taken place in countries like China, India, Brazil, Australia and Senegal.

The last one was in Montreal, Canada, in August 2011. In 2013, Nantes will host the third world

meeting of Mexico’s pact-signing cities.

The former stone quarry of Roche Ballue, Bouguenais, has become a popular spot for bathers, while also preserving its history in the collective memory


So, imagine Nantes in 2030 …Nantes is a dynamic, forward-looking city committed to experimentation

and creativity – as demonstrated by the development of the Île de

Nantes. But with the population expected to rise by 100 000 over the

next 20 years, it is crucial to involve people and bring everyone along

together on the journey towards sustainable living.

Ask the people!

In late 2010, Greater Nantes launched on an unprecedented bid to gather citizens’ opinions on

their environment and its evolution. The mayors of the 24 municipalities making up Greater Nantes

launched a dialogue with the population entitled ‘Ma Ville Demain’ (My City Tomorrow). It invited the

entire community to ‘Imagine Nantes in 2030’ (Perspectives 2030), and to participate – collectively

and proactively – in reinventing the metropolis’ project for the next 20 years. Throughout 2011 and

2012, people were invited to express their ideas, aspirations and fears – on the net (mavilledemain.fr)

or by answering questionnaires or taking part in interviews, public meetings, workshops and debates.

Card games and democracy walls

The Nantes 2030 kiosk in a city square opened on Wednesdays and Saturdays, as a centre for

inquiries and feedback, and an information kit in card-game format and a dedicated website helped

to spread the word. Every individual and institution was encouraged to participate. For instance,

at the University of Nantes, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2011, students wrote their

opinions on a special wall.

‘My City Tomorrow’ invited citizens to use their imaginations to reinvent their own living space


During 2011, nine main topics emerged out of residents’ input,

including the economy, climate and energy, work and training,

issues surrounding land use, households and urban planning,

solidarity, local democracy, and the life of the city. The organisers

published a leafl et on each individual topic, aimed at the general

public. In order to encourage participation, people were invited

to present their ideas on a poster, or in a song or poem, or to plan

a city walk through their favourite locations.

Five key questions for the citizens of Nantes:

❙ What do we want to keep?

❙ What don’t we want any more in 2030?

❙ What developments would we like to see?

❙ How do we imagine 2030?

❙ How do we think our lives will be in 2030?

A new plan for Nantes for 2030

Throughout Greater Nantes,

conservation and sustainable

exploitation of waterways is a

priority


Answers from all ages

More than 22 000 people took part in discussions focusing on

everything from mobility and building technologies to culture and

ageing. From primary school level upwards, citizens expressed

their vision of the Nantes of the future. All this input was analysed

during the early months of 2012, building up to the moment

for presentation, explanation and an exhibition, in the autumn,

revealing what people said and presenting possible perspectives

for Nantes. By the end of 2012, Nantes’ elected decision-makers

pledged to agree on a new plan for the metropolis.

Key numbers

❙ 50 000 students

❙ 18% of the population over 60, rising to 25% by 2030

❙ 36 000 companies

❙ 312 000 jobs

❙ 10 000 associations

❙ 84 000 come into Greater Nantes every day to work

Residents put forward their own vision of active ageing

Further informationFurther informationEuropean Commission DG Environment EGCA: European Commission DG Environment EGCA:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/winning-cities/2013-nantes/index.htmlwinning-cities/2013-nantes/index.html

Nantes 2013:Nantes 2013: www.nantesgreencapital.euwww.nantesgreencapital.eu

International agency: International agency: www.nantes-just-imagine.comwww.nantes-just-imagine.com

A journey to Nantes:A journey to Nantes: www.levoyageanantes.fr/en/ www.levoyageanantes.fr/en/

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/europeangreencapital/winning-cities/2013-nantes/index.html

http://www.nantesgreencapital.eu

http://www.nantes-just-imagine.com

http://www.levoyageanantes.fr/en/

European Commission

Nantes — European Green Capital 2013

Luxembourg: Publications Offi ce of the European Union

2012 — 70 pp. — 21 x 21 cm

ISBN 978-92-79-25017-0

doi:10.2779/53814

More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu).

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2012

ISBN 978-92-79-25017-0doi:10.2779/53814

© European Union, 2012Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

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