Urban Areas and Urban Sprawl in France: Case Study of Toulon

Flashcards covering the geography of French urban areas, urban sprawl, social and spatial divisions, environmental impacts, and planning solutions, featuring the Toulon case study.

Where is the Toulon urban area located geographically and administratively?

It is located in southeastern France along the Mediterranean coast, in the PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) region, in the south of the Var department, and within the TPM agglomeration community.

What is the ranking, municipal composition, and total surface area of the Toulon urban area?

It is the $13^{\text{e}}$ largest urban area in France, comprising $40$ communes and covering a surface area of $1\,172\,\text{km}^2$.

What three main spatial zones compose an urban area like Toulon?

The central city (ville-centre: Toulon), the peripheral suburban communes (banlieues: such as Ollioules and La Garde), and the peri-urban communes (couronne périurbaine: such as Pierrefeu).

What saturation factors in the central city of Toulon drive residents toward peripheral areas?

A dense, continuous fabric of apartment buildings, heavy automobile traffic causing congestion and pollution, and relatively high land and housing prices.

What are pendular migrations (migrations pendulaires)?

Daily back-and-forth travels between home and work undertaken by people who live in suburban or peri-urban areas but work in the central city.

According to Gabriel JOURDAN, how did transportation developments trigger urban sprawl starting in the 1960s?

The widespread adoption of the automobile in the 1960s and the expansion of expressways accelerated daily travel speeds, allowing commercial retail (hypermarchés) and businesses to relocate outside dense city centres onto cheaper, car-accessible land.

What residential motivations lead households to relocate farther into peri-urban areas?

The desire for single-family homes with gardens, proximity to nature, and an environment suited to family life with children, seeking locations that remain affordable financially without significantly increasing travel time.

How did the population of the Toulon urban area change between 1991 and 2022 according to INSEE?

It increased from $481\,000$ inhabitants in 1991 to over $636\,000$ inhabitants in 2022, representing an increase of more than $100\,000$ residents in $30$ years.

How does tourism foster urban sprawl in the PACA region?

Intense tourism led to $475\,000$ secondary or occasional residences by July 1, 2005, which stimulated building expansion and the conversion of fallow agricultural lands into constructible plots.

What characterizes low-income peripheral suburbs (périphérie pauvre) such as La Seyne?

Close proximity to the central city, affordable social housing (HLM and apartment blocks) for lower-income populations, but often accompanied by difficult conditions such as unemployment and insecurity.

What characterizes industrial and commercial peripheries such as La Valette?

Lower land costs that attract industrial parks and commercial shopping zones, drawing workers and consumers, but offering lower residential appeal due to nuisances.

What characterizes affluent peripheral suburbs such as Hyères, Sanary, and Bandol?

Higher land values, private villa subdivisions, and upscale apartment residences that attract wealthy families and retirees.

What characterizes peri-urban spaces such as Solliès and Cuers?

Dispersed individual housing (villas with swimming pools) built over former agricultural fields, lower land prices, and middle-class commuter families.

What proportion of the French population lives in urban areas, and across how many areas?

Approximately $83\,\%$ of the French population lives across $699$ urban areas.

What is soil artificialization (l'artificialisation des sols)?

The conversion of natural, agricultural, or forest soil into built human environments, housing, services, or transportation infrastructures.

What positive aspects of artificialization and urban sprawl are identified in the notes?

The provision of new housing, the creation of road and transport networks, access to services and leisure, and the avoidance of high urban density risks.

What negative environmental and economic impacts stem from soil artificialization?

Biodiversity loss, increased global warming, higher flooding risks, reduced food production capacity due to loss of farmland, and high disaster recovery costs.

How has soil artificialization progressed in France since 1992, and what level did it reach in 2018?

It has grown at a rate of $+1.3\,\%$ per year since 1992, with $9.3\,\%$ of French soils classified as artificialized by 2018.

What are the primary targets of the ZAN (Zéro Artificialisation Nette) policy and climate objectives?

Reaching Net Zero Artificialization by $2050$, reducing $CO_2$ emissions by $40\,\%$ by $2030$, reducing artificialization rates by $50\,\%$ by the end of the decade, and curbing farmland consumption.

What are the population sizes of the major French urban areas Paris, Lyon, and Marseille/Aix according to the notes?

Paris has $11.8\text{ million}$ inhabitants, Lyon has $1.7\text{ million}$, and Marseille/Aix has $1.5\text{ million}$.

How does globalization influence French urban growth?

It accentuates territorial competition between cities, driving urban expansion and necessitating the continuous upgrading of adapted transportation and logistics infrastructure.

What is periurbanization (périurbanisation)?

The outward expansion of housing subdivisions and commercial or industrial zones into nearby rural countryside surrounding urban centers.

What urban planning instruments are implemented to manage urban sprawl in accordance with sustainable development?

The PLU (Plan Local d'Urbanisme) and the SCOT (Schéma de Cohérence Territoriale), implemented by local elected officials, associations, and citizens.

What is sustainable development (développement durable) and what are its three core pillars?

Development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, based on three pillars: environmental, economic, and social.

Why is the bicycle classified as a sustainable mode of urban transport?

It produces virtually no pollution, consumes minimal resources, cuts greenhouse gas emissions, reduces road traffic congestion, and offers safe mobility when bike lanes are developed.

What techniques characterize sustainable construction in residential buildings?

Using renewable or recycled building materials (such as wood), ensuring high thermal insulation to minimize heating needs, and installing solar panels for energy generation.

What is urban mitage (scattered rural fragmentation)?

The uncontrolled scattering of housing developments and commercial infrastructure across agricultural land, breaking up the rural landscape.

What are conflicts of use (conflits d'usage) in expanding urban perimeters?

Tensions and disputes arising between differing groups (farmers, new suburban residents, industries, local authorities) over how surrounding land and resources should be utilized.