Using contrats d'axe to coordinate regional rail transport, stations and urban development: from concept to practice

Abstract

A broad consensus exists across Europe that coordination is needed between public transport and urban planning in order to achieve sustainable cities. However, there remains a wide gap between planning theory and actual local practice. In response to these difficulties, a new ‘bottom-up’ tool has recently been developed in France by a number of local government bodies: the contrat d'axe (CDA). This paper analyses how this new instrument of public policy is used locally in the case of regional railway transport projects. Including an examination of the processes of decision-making and institutional cooperation between stakeholders and based on a comparative analysis of three pioneering regional railway CDAs, this article highlights the strengths and limitations of CDAs in coordinating land-use and transport development.