Brest Capucins eco-neighbourhood
Brest Capucins eco-neighbourhood - © https://www.brest-bma.fr/le_projet/les-capucins-brest/

The Capucins eco-district

Status
completed
100%
City

Brest

Main actors

City Government, Supranational / Intergovernmental Institutions

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Duration

2009 - 2020

The Urban renewal of an industrial heritage site.

Brest is the second largest city in Brittany with a population of 400,000. Its innovative eco-district, the Capucins, is built around sustainable urban development practices.

The eco-district has a total surface area of 16 hectares, including 25,000 m² of offices, shops and services, a multimedia library, a multiplex cinema, a national street arts centre, an interpretation centre and trail, the Cinémathèque de Bretagne and Cité Internationale, as well as 560 housing units. The selection of materials, the architectural design and the programmatic choices reflect a commitment to reduce the ecological footprint.

The Capucins eco-district project offers the citizens of Brest Metropole a unique experience by recreating links to its heritage and offering a new relationship with the natural space.

The project was selected by Atlantic Cities as a case study for the EURE (Effectiveness of Environmental Urban policies to improve Resources Efficiency) project the association is involved in.

The EURE European project is funded under the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union, via the Interreg Europe programme. It proposes the exchange of experiences as a way to improve the environmental performance management of EU urban spaces including the urban areas with a low population density.

Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allPromote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableTake urgent action to combat climate change and its impactsPromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
City
Brest, France
Size and population development
According to INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) the population of Brest in 2018 was 139,602. The city covers an area of 49.51km2 with a population density of 2,820 people per km2.
Population composition
The population comprises 51% females and 49% males. The 0-17 age group is recorded at 18.1%, 18-64 at 65.3% and 65+ at 16.5%. A total of 94.55% of the population identify as French nationals.
Main functions
Brest is a port city in the Finistère département in Brittany. Located in a landlocked bay not far from the western tip of the peninsula and occupies the slopes of two hills divided by the river Penfeld.
Main industries / business
Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon. Naval construction is an important activity as are ship repairs and maintenance. The service sector is expanding and currently represents 75% of the city’s economic activity while industrial activity is decreasing.
Sources for city budget
Local government authorities in France receive funding from a range of sources, including Government grants, council tax and fees and charges. Together, council tax and business rates make up local authorities' largest source of income.
Political structure
Like all municipalities in France, the City of Brest is administered by a municipal council (deliberative body) and by the mayor, assisted by deputies (executive body of the municipality).
Administrative structure
The municipal council is elected by universal suffrage for a period of 6 years. Brest has 55 municipal councillors, including the Mayor and 21 deputies. Internal regulations establish the functioning of the Board and its Committees responsible for examining the files (draft deliberation) entered on the Agenda for meetings. There are 5 to 6 meetings held each year.
Website
https://www.brest.fr/

Historically, the Capuchin plateau was home to industrial and military activities, however, these have been moved to other areas in recent decades. Urban sustainability is one of the key components of the Capucins renewal project. The geographical location of the site allows for a completely unobstructed view of the Penfeld river, the harbour and the city of Brest.  As the area is steeped in history, the aim is to make the district as dynamic as it was previously by offering a quality of life based on culture and social offerings.  Further, the project aims to integrate the eco district on the right bank of Brest and to renew the attractiveness of this part of the city by creating new cultural facilities and innovative services for citizens.

The eco-district has a diversified housing offer which provides a social mix representation: 50% of the housing stock is available through free ownership, 25% are subsidised rental units and the remaining 25% are available at an affordable cost. Each block has an underground car park.

The Capucins project is designed as a sustainable neighbourhood with public spaces mainly allocated for pedestrians and limiting the space for motor vehicles. The public transport network - bus, tram or cable car - makes the city extremely accessible to residents.

The eco-district represents a true European corridor as, by car, people can access the airport in 20 minutes and travel by expressway to the city of Rennes in 2.5 hours. From Paris, the TGV takes an average of 3 hours and 25 minutes and the plane 1 hour and 10 minutes.

2004 - marketing study of the project was undertaken.

2009 - Urban Development Zone was created.

2012 - development works on the site commenced

2015 - Cité Internationale completed

2016 – construction of the cable car operation commenced.

2017 - the first residents of the eco-district moved in.

The cable car, spanning the Penfeld river, creates a direct link between the right and left banks. An estimated 675,000 passengers per year will cross the 400 metres separating the Plateau des Capucins from the Rue de Siam (Brest’s main arterial street), which is to the south of the eco-district. The cable car is a free means of transport that will help avoid increased traffic levels for the two bridges, which carry 70,000 daily trips. The crossing of the Penfeld at a height of 70 metres could also become a tourist attraction in the long term.

New buildings own the low-energy label and meet ambitious environmental standards. Heating and domestic hot water will use 90% renewable energy and should not emit any CO2 due to the alternative option of the urban heating network. The layout of the blocks and buildings have been designed to limit the visual impact of the car, with a large underground car park in the forecourt. Car traffic will be limited in favour of collective and soft transport, with many footpaths and cycle paths, combined with the tramway line linking the eco-district and the cable car.

“Les Ateliers des Capucins” is an industrial cathedral with majestic naves and an unobstructed view of the bay of Brest. This iconic landmark was originally a convent and then converted into industrial workshops and is now a public square open to residents and visitors to the eco-district.

The site was developed by Brest Métropole and the City of Brest. They develop and manages the promotional and entertainment strategy of the site in line with its trademark qualities for the public shareholders. In this respect, “Les Ateliers des Capucins” handles the operational plans for building and maintains the reputation of the site and any new facilities that will be established including:

  • Making the site one of the driving forces behind the attractiveness of the City of Brest;
  • Strengthen the quality of urban life (culture offerings, leisure activities, shops);
  • Handle the management and maintenance of the historical site;
  • Contribute to making the site a key player focused on increasing the density of downtown Brest and improving the new Capucins district.

The contracting authority of the Capucins eco-district is Brest Métropole. In 2009, the French State and Brest Métropole signed a session protocol, enabling the Métropole to launch the urban renewal programme, the cost of which was set at 2.2 million euros.

In the context of the large urban renewal operation for The Capucins eco-district, the EURE (Effectiveness of Environmental Urban policies to improve Resources Efficiency) European project focused on two pilot projects which have been developed between 2015 and 2019:

  • The Brest Smart Grid project has been launched as a collective approach to control energy demand. It also includes a major raising awareness dimension through an interactive tool.
  • A Prototype of Photovoltaic Power plant with self-consumption.

In 2019, EURE project analysed 4 indicators in the Capucins site:

Consumption:

  • Six Big Building/Big Consumer analyse

Power Generation:

  • One Power plant with self-consumption (100 kWc)
  • One classic Power plant (100 kWc)
  • One classic Power plant (8 kWc)

One platform to analyse consumption and production data;

One communication screen to educate visitors of the Capucins district about the energy cost of the neighbourhood building.

The challenges facing the Capuchins are mostly the rehabilitation of a historic site, bringing innovations in housing, economy, culture and leisure, and easy access to all shops and services.

However, for the past decade, Brest has been financially investing in ideas so that the metropolitan area can change. Among these investments are the restoration of the waterfront, creation of cultural facilities, increasing the number of events held, the renewal and improvement of the city's heritage and the arrival of the tramway in 2012.

The Capucins has carved out a unique place for itself in the Brest landscape. Many activities and festivities take place: public picnics, fashion week, comic book meetings, BMX competitions, dance festivals and sports forums and new projects are continuously launched.  It is becoming a popular place for tourists.

Within the framework of the Interreg Europe EURE project, the City of Brest was represented by the Atlantic Cities Association and the Capucins eco-district was promoted as a case study. In terms of transferability, this allows the eco-district to be promoted as a good practice to other European cities and regions.

Mr Nicolas Plassart, nicolas.plassart@brest-metropole.fr 
Ms Sylvie Mingant, sylvie.mingant@brest-metropole.fr, Energy Division of Brest metropole.

EURE project’s partner contact:
Ms Adeline Oliveira, EU Projects Manager at Atlantic Cities, projects@atlanticcities.eu.

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