National research programme Sustainable city (PEPR VDBI)

The national research programme Sustainable city, under the joint direction of Gustave Eiffel University and the CNRS, aims to accelerate the transition towards sustainable cities and buildings. Its mission is to bring together a community capable of meeting the scientific, social, and technical challenges related to urbanization by promoting a multi-stakeholder approach, including practitioners, industry, local authorities, citizens, and researchers.

Since the emergence of the concept of sustainable development in the 1980s, extended to cities with the Aalborg Charter in 1994, many international, national, and local actions and initiatives have developed. However, the implementation of sustainable cities remains insufficient to this day. They are hindered by scattered initiatives, a lack of knowledge about urban issues, and the fragmentation of the scientific community on the subject.

Led by the CNRS and Gustave Eiffel University, the PEPR VDBI aims to build a community capable of taking charge of the scientific, social, and technical problems hindering the implementation of sustainable cities and innovative buildings. After a broad consultation of stakeholders, five main challenges for Sustainable Cities were identified, complemented by a 6th challenge to capture weak signals:

1. Climate change
2. Resilient cities
3. Sustainable and frugal cities and buildings
4. Inclusive and equitable cities
5. Sustainable cities, health, and well-being
6. Emerging challenges

The PEPR encourages "demand-driven" research, focused on the concrete stakes and problems encountered by stakeholders (local authorities, industry, citizens) in the implementation of sustainable cities.

The PEPR develops a collaborative approach with strong scientific animation, varied scientific animation devices, and calls for projects encouraging collaboration with local actors and interdisciplinary work among scientists. Three operational centers, launched at the beginning of the PEPR VDBI, aim to capitalize on existing knowledge to engage research and support projects around three themes:

• availability of data and information on sustainable cities and buildings, both pre-existing and produced by the PEPR (CO SIVDB);
• understanding the role of models on urban action (CO MISCIB);
• evaluating urban public policies (CO MESAP).

The governance of the PEPR, carried by the pilot organizations, is structured around an Institutional Strategic Committee (CSI), a Stakeholder College (CPP), and a Scientific Committee (CS).

PEPR VDBI website

PEPR VDBI LinkedIn page