Master in Urban Planning : study trip to Dunkirk

“An industrial and coastal region committed to decarbonization”

Each year, students in the >Master’s in Urban Planning go on two trips: to an international city and a French region. The goal is to understand the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental issues at stake in the area and to meet the people involved as part of a joint investigation. The students discover the site in its context and under the angle of a specific theme in connection with the teaching of the master, here, the ecological transition of a productive area.

Why did you choose Dunkirk?

As a port and coastal city, Dunkerque faces several challenges that make it a particularly stimulating area for reflection and action: urban decline, economic specialization linked to the industrial-port complex, and territorial imbalances on the scale of the catchment area. Faced with these challenges and this legacy, the city innovates and pioneers in several urban policies: decarbonizing industry, sustainable mobility, tools for understanding the area, eco-tourism, etc. What's more, the choice of this area is consistent with the student’s desire to work in a medium-sized city.

"What I remember and what interested me about this trip were the industrial issues because that's what closely affects the job I'll be joining in September, but more generally, it was an opportunity to round off the year by putting into practice everything we'd learned during the year [...] We are all capable of describing the city, of describing what we see, because we see projects, and I think that's a perfect way to end the year".

François Durand, student in the Urban Planning program

Work carried out by half of the students before the trip: a cartographic analysis of the context and territorial strategies of the Dunkirk area

In preparation for this trip and as part of the master’s program, the students worked during the first semester on an analysis of the Dunkirk area. As part of the territorial strategies and GIS courses, half the class produced a document analyzing the site based on a large amount of data (socio-economic, demographic, institutional, etc.).

Workshop: The Marina project

The town, with the support of the Urban Community, has embarked on a comprehensive project to revitalize the area between the marina and the outlet canal. Located at the heart of the ZAC du Grand Large, the metamorphosis of this unusual area, with its harbor atmosphere, has three main aims. Firstly, to strengthen the marina. Secondly, to make it a lively place, by developing a quayside dedicated to bars and restaurants, and even a square for events. Finally, by extending the mound along the outlet canal, housing construction will further enhance Dunkirk's residential appeal. This is the project that the students are working on.

"What caught my attention was the policy of decarbonizing industry, which has been extended to mobility: Much work has been done in the city’s development to work on roads and travel [...] It's also part of the work on the landscape with the fil bleu and fil vert initiative, which are walks through the city that help to reconnect the territory of Dunkirk, which can be a little fragmented between the different functions and the different districts [...] I thought it was a very relevant cross-cutting policy".

Félicie Pette, student in the Urban Planning program