La première décennie du Plan Construction (1971-1982) : stratégies éditoriales et représentations

Abstract

The First Decade of the “Plan Construction ” (1971-1982) : Editorial Strategies and Representations. The Plan Construction (Building Plan) was created by the French government in May 1971 under the double aegis of the ministère du Développement Industriel et Scientifique (ministry of industrial and scientific development) and the ministère de l’Équipement et du Logement (ministry of housing). Its purpose was to improve the quality of housing and to modify existing building policies, whose purely technical approach was increasingly under attack. This article studies the editorial strategies deployed by this public organization during the first ten years of its existence, examining them in view of the Plan’s original mission and its official status. The periodicals published by the Plan are treated here both as historical sources and as objects of study in their own right. Echoing the “experimental” nature of the organization’s activities, these publications were also engaged in renewing the representation of construction projects. In addition they helped ensure the visibility of the organization and legitimize its existence at a time when its status was still uncertain.