Concrete no more: The end of urban sprawl?

Some 25 kilometres south of Paris, construction is in full swing. Metro stations, housing, and university campuses are rapidly changing the landscape of what used to be a semi-rural area. It’s become a source of concern for many residents who are now rising up against plans to build a metro line over farmland.

"The soil is deep and fertile, giving farmers some of the best yields in France and Northern Europe," says Isabelle Goldringer, an activist and researcher. 

A protest camp was set up at the request of farmers who work in the fields, but it has since been dismantled. 

"This metro line is the Trojan horse of urbanisation. It will cross over fields, and cut them in half, increasing urban density around newly built metro stations," warns Goldringer.

Cities are expanding outwards, often at the expense of nature. This is particularly true in Europe. In France, from 2006 to 2017, some 20,000 hectares of land were developed for urban needs. At this rate, by 2030, urban sprawl could eat up a surface area equivalent to 30 times the size of Paris. 

So how do we prevent cities from growing uncontrollably? France has committed to a strategy of "Net Zero" land take by 2050. For every hectare of land taken from nature, another must be restored. But this has already become a difficult balancing act, with cities struggling to find a compromise between economic growth and environmental targets. 

Cities have only recently begun to take an interest in the intrinsic qualities of soil. It was long seen as just a base for construction, but soil is now being closely examined to ensure that "good" soil doesn't go to waste.

Cerema, a public body in France, advises local authorities and the construction industry in their urban plans, making