Les villes petites et moyennes : le retour du « Petit Poucet » ?

Abstract

Small and medium-sized cities have long been presented as in decline or in crisis. Since the Covid-19 crisis, the end of "hypermobility" and the potential "demetropolization" have given rise to a new interest in small and medium-sized cities on a human scale. While defining them is not easy, the dynamics of small and medium-sized cities remain very diverse and are linked to multiple factors and territorial contexts. For a long time “asleep” and “unthought of by planning policies”, planning and governance issues are arising, at a time when these centres are emerging as “new equilibrium cities” with multiple amenities.

Keywords

• Small towns
• Medium-sized towns
• Attractiveness
• Shrinking city
• Boomburbs
• Territorial planning policies