Transport and Land Use Interaction: A French Case of Suburban Development in the Lille Metropolitan Area (LMA)

Transit Oriented Development as sustainable mobility strategy is not part of French policy, in practice or in academic literature, even though a certain number of projects follow some of its principles. Reciprocally, from abroad, French experiences are not recognized as TOD, even when they could be. Scientific literature is needed in this direction. This is the focus of this paper.This paper identifies two realizations that can be qualified as TOD implementations according to criteria that we have defined previously in a Franco-German research program (Bahn.Ville). For each of these two cases, while their transport network is examined, we also study their insertion into the urban environment at a local level. The interaction between land use and transport system is the focal point of this study through a reading of planning documents, geospatial data specific processing and analysis, and on-site investigations. Parallel analysis is undertaken on the processes of realization. In both cases, we look into cooperation between public and private actors from multiple sectors and on different scales. Combining actual planning strategies, we examine policies of metropolitan level that support similar realizations in the future, not only in the field of transport, but also on housing and economic activities. Therefore, we present existing and future instruments for the implementation of TOD in the Lille Metropolitan Area. New planning tools, such as “DIVAT” and “Contrat d’axe”, are designed in the intent of defining intersectoral policies of transport and urbanism. These tools are currently being introduced and put into practice in Lille Metropolis.