Title: The rise of sustainable urban development on Reunion Island

Authors: Dominique Dias

Addresses: 19 rue du Levant, 13007 Marseille, F-13007, France

Abstract: Reunion Island with 800,000 inhabitants shows growth in terms of population, economic, social and cultural development. Limited territory leaves little room for the compensation of urban dysfunctions by the urban spread. Rapid development calls for an additional 200,000 houses by 2030. Furthermore, increasing petrol and transportation costs mean overseas trade supply is threatening the island economy. To deal with these expectations, a conference held on October 2009 defined the Reunion Island Sustainable Districts concept and the means to its realisation: promoting diversity and combining the needs, the uses and the resources of the island; improving public spaces and networks and creating an integrated development. Furthermore, local debate highlighted that the complexity of technical analyses could alienate politicians from the decision-making process. Through financing the project conception, coordinating politicians and professionals, the partnership programme promotes an integrated realisation of each project. It is currently being employed in the building of thousands of houses.

Keywords: spatial planning; urban design; sustainability; tropical islands; Reunion Island; decision making process; sustainable urban development; sustainable development; house building; diversity; public spaces.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSOC.2014.065855

International Journal of Sustainable Society, 2014 Vol.6 No.3, pp.240 - 263

Published online: 17 Dec 2014 *

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