EuroRennes Sustainable Transformation Charter

EuroRennes is a major transport hub centred on Rennes' new railway station, conceived as a multimodal interchange and as the catalyst for the city's expansion southwards. Combining mobility, quality of life and economic development, the EuroRennes masterplan seeks to reconnect the city through a vibrant mixed-use district bringing together housing, retail, offices and public facilities. In response to the climate emergency, Rennes Métropole commissioned the development of a sustainability charter to guide every stage and every type of project across the district.

In 2009, FGP(u) – French Global Project of Urbanism was appointed to lead the urban masterplan. Working alongside Agence TER for landscape design, Agence OGI for technical engineering, and Atelier Franck Boutté for environmental design and engineering, the team developed both a sustainability charter and a methodology for negotiated environmental design guidelines based on a series of design concepts known as "sustainability figures".

Atelier Franck Boutté delivered a comprehensive package of environmental studies, including district energy planning, renewable energy feasibility assessments, acoustic studies and urban environmental analyses covering solar access, cast shadows and wind comfort. These studies informed a set of integrated design guidelines tailored to each development sector through the definition of "sustainability figures" aimed at achieving high environmental performance. These included concepts such as the "responsive façade", the "hanging garden" and "one station – two squares".

In total, fifteen development sectors were analysed through the lens of sustainable urban development, addressing housing diversity, mobility, environmental quality, energy and resource management, among many other themes. Together, these studies laid the foundations for an innovative approach to urban regeneration rooted in the principles of urban ecology.