Will “extraordinary gardens” and social housing ensure Nantes is green and affordable for all?

Situated in western coastal France, at the confluence of the Loire and the Erdre rivers and with a population of approximately 300,000 residents, Nantes has over the last 30 years successfully transformed its urban development trajectory from investments in shipyard industries to new technologies, culture and art and high-quality public transport systems, resulting in the second highest employment growth in France. Thanks to long-term policies on urban renaturing and social equity, Nantes has also become one of the greenest, yet still relatively affordable cities in Western Europe. However, as the city accelerates its ambitious green agenda, real estate prices and gentrification have drawn increasing concern and civic mobilization. This chapter examines these tensions in the latter part of our analysis and raises the question of what type of urban greening and social policies are needed to keep Nantes a green, equitable and inclusive city.

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