Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Depuis le début XXIème siècle, les documents d’urbanisme s’attèlent à « reconstruire la ville sur la ville » et même à densifier le bâti existant. Or, non seulement les aspirations de la population ne vont pas nécessairement dans le même sens, mais encore, ce mode de construction implique une connaissance fine du volume urbain. L’attente de nouvelles méthodes d’analyse des territoires, combinant 2D et 3D, est forte dans le domaine de l’aménagement du territoire afin de densifier les espaces urbains et combler les vacuités tout en surélevant le bâti existant, et en respectant les principes d’un développement urbain durable soucieux de la qualité de vie. Cependant, les méthodes utilisées à ce jour à des fins de recherche fondamentale ou appliquée en aménagement, intègrent peu la 3D, c’est à dire la dimension verticale des éléments géographiques, naturels ou anthropiques. Le travail de recherche envisagé dans la thèse a pour objet l’intégration de la 3D dans l’analyse spatiale à l’aide de SIG, de l’analyse d’image et de l’analyse morphologique afin de proposer des nouvelles méthodes et des outils utiles aux acteurs du territoire. / Since the beginning of the 21 century the urban planning documents are focused on the “reconstruction of the city inside the recent city territory” and results in the densification of the urban structure (e.g. elevating existing buildings or increasing compactness). However, this construction mode needs a detailed understanding of the urban volume. To meet this demand, new analysis methods are strongly desired, integrating 2D and 3D in urban planning. This might allow density increase in decaying inner urban areas while respecting the social sustainable development and enhancing the quality of life. However the currently used methods used in fundamental science or applied science rarely include the third dimension in their consideration; more detailed the vertical axis of geographical, natural or anthropogenic elements.The here presented thesis is dedicated to the integration of the 3D methods into the urban planning by the help of analysis with applied geographic information systems (GIS). The work focuses on image and morphology analysis for developing new methodologies and tools dedicated to different decision makers in urban context.

Cette recherche s'interroge sur l'interrelation entre le développement urbain et le développement durable dans le sens où celui-ci peut se concrétiser en milieu urbain et à différents niveaux stratégiques de la ville. Sous cet angle, la recherche ambitionne une meilleure compréhension de cette interrelation, notamment par ses implications potentielles pour la ville de Bagdad (Irak) qui constitue l'étude de cas. Pour atteindre cet objectif, la recherche implique une évaluation critique de la ville afin de savoir si la dynamique existante (défis et réponses) et les mutations urbaines actuelles (le développement économique, le changement social et l'envergure de l'implication du public, la transition politique), ainsi que les projets de développement urbain effectivement élaborés à la suite des efforts locaux de reconstruction – mais aussi sous l'impact du processus de globalisation - pourraient être orientés de façon à créer un terrain favorable pour engager un processus de développement durable en contexte. Toutefois, avant de passer à cette dernière étape ambitieuse, la question de recherche est examinée au prisme de trois étapes structurelles. Tout d'abord avec un regard sur l'histoire de façon à mieux voir comment a débuté la création de la ville de Bagdad et sa formation, puis quels furent son développement et ses transformations jusqu'à sa situation actuelle. Deuxièmement, en soulignant et analysant les conséquences et les problèmes actuels de son développement et ses impacts sur les différents aspects de l'état urbain (la société, la culture, l'environnement, la politique, etc. ...), cela pour mieux comprendre les débats actuels et les efforts contradictoires portés sur le développement de la ville concernée. Troisièmement, au-delà d'une recherche théorique sur le concept de développement durable, et de l'examen de certaines perspectives et de points de vue théoriques à partir desquels ce concept a été approché, la recherche est plus précisément conduite dans le but de bien comprendre comment s'engager correctement en faveur d'un développement adapté et d'un avenir durable pour la ville de Bagdad. Il importe ici de rappeler que cette approche s'inscrit dans un contexte où le rôle de la durabilité n'a pas reçu une attention appropriée de la part de la recherche en termes d'analyse des divers avantages et inconvénients apportés au contexte concerné. A cet égard, bien qu'il existe certaines similitudes entre les villes à travers le monde, et que l'on puisse aussi admettre qu'il y ait beaucoup d'éléments globaux communs au sujet du développement de la ville, il convient de relever qu'il y a aussi des dimensions locales et régionales jouant un rôle important. A cet à égard la recherche révèle que Bagdad est un produit unique (dans le sens d'inhabituel) pour la mise en œuvre de politiques de développement urbain. La recherche vise aussi à établir une vision stratégique pour la ville en matière de développement urbain durable, en mettant d'abord l'accent sur des démarches stratégiques qui prennent en considération toute la complexité de la gestion et de l'aménagement de la ville. Enfin, la recherche esquisse les orientations d'un Schéma Directeur visant à maîtriser à la fois la forme urbaine et la croissance dans la perspective d'une éventuelle évolution vers une ville plus adaptée et "durable". / This research questions the interrelation of urban development and sustainable development, in the sense that sustainable development could be operationalized in the urban environment and at a variety of strategic levels of the city. Within this objective, this research seeks to achieve, through the case study of the research (Baghdad), a better understanding of this relation, especially by its prospective implications for Baghdad. To achieve this goal, the research involves a critical assessment of whether, the dynamics (challenges and responses) and current urban changes (economic development, social transformations and the extent of public involvement, and the political transition), as well as urban development projects actually developed through local reconstruction efforts and impact of the process of globalization, could be invested and oriented to create a favourable ground to start an implementation of the sustainable development. However, before proceeding to the last ambitious step, the research aims to address the main research question through three structural phases: firstly through history in order to see how the creation of the city began, its formation, how it was developing and transforming up to its current situation. Secondly, for highlighting and analyzing the consequences and current problems of the city development and their impact on various aspects of the urban condition (society, culture, environment, politics, etc ....), in order to establish an understanding of current debates and contradictory efforts on the development of Baghdad city. Thirdly, beyond a theoretical research on the concept of sustainable development and a review of some points of view and theoretical perspectives from which this concept was approached, the research explicitly leads to a better understanding of how it could be possible to engage properly in the new commitment to an appropriate development and sustainable future for the city of Baghdad. It is important to remind here that this approach takes place in a context where the role of sustainability has not received appropriate attention of the research, in terms of analysis of the various advantages and disadvantages that are relevant to the context. In this respect, although there are some similarities between the cities around the world, as well as there are a lot of global common elements on development of the city, there are also local and regional dimensions that play an important role. With respect to these dimensions the study reveals that Baghdad is unique (in the sense of unusual) for the implementation of urban development policies. The research also aims to develop a strategic vision for the city's sustainable urban development, focusing primarily on the strategic approaches that take into account the complexity of the management and development of the city. Finally, the research proposes an attempt to outline a master plan to control both urban form and growth in any change, while ensuring a proper orientation to a city more responsive and “sustainable”.

Le commerce équitable fait majoritairement l’objet de travaux en sciences agro-économiques (études d’impact, de filière, structuration des organisations,…). Par ailleurs, si les premières recherches étaient centrées vers le Sud et dans la compréhension de flux mondialisés, un décentrement du secteur vers d’autres espaces et dynamiques d’acteurs est perceptible autour de nouveaux enjeux liés à son inscription dans les politiques publiques. Cette évolution ouvre des perspectives originales de recherche et élargit le champ des disciplines concernées. La thèse s’inscrit dans ces nouvelles approches. Elle interroge les « Fair Trade Towns », campagne internationale de promotion du commerce équitable lancée en 2000, déclinée essentiellement dans les villes européennes. Dans ce projet l’objectif est d’associer collectivités, acteurs locaux, privés et publics, pour valoriser le commerce équitable à l’échelle d’un «territoire». Dans une démarche de géographie sociale, la recherche s’intéresse à ce changement de paradigme du commerce équitable et interroge le rôle de nouveaux acteurs dans ce processus ainsi que les différentes strates spatiales en jeu dans le cadre d’une territorialisation inédite. Pour les comprendre, la thèse se fonde sur des enquêtes de terrain associant entretiens, dessins (cartes mentales) et observation. Les villes de Lyon et Bruxelles sont les deux terrains d’étude choisis : déclinée nationalement « Territoires de commerce équitable » en France (2009), « Communes du commerce équitable » ou « Fair Trade Gemeente » en Belgique (2004), la campagne prend la forme d’un titre décerné à une collectivité, mais aussi celle d’un outil de communication du développement durable urbain. La campagne atteste du rôle nouveau et central de collectivités dans ce projet territorial, avec des stratégies d’acteurs et des tensions palpables sur une redéfinition du commerce équitable dans les Nords. / Fair trade is principally the object of study in agro-economical research (case studies on fair trade impact, networks, structuring of organisations…). Moreover, even if initial research was centred on the South and on the understanding of globalized flows, a growing shift towards the North appears with its integration into sustainable public policy. This progression leads to new research perspectives and broadens the subjects. This thesis falls within these new approaches. It questions fair trade geography with a special focus on the international campaign “Fair Trade Towns”, launched in 2000 to promote fair trade and which is centred mainly on European cities. In this project, the goal is to promote faire trade by linking communities with local private and public actors at a new scale for fair trade which mainly takes “towns” into consideration rather than cities. Within social geography, this research focuses on the paradigm change of fair trade and questions the role of new actors in this process, as well as the different scalar levels involved in a new territorialisation. To analyse and understand them, this thesis is based on field studies which combine interviews, drawing (mental maps) and observation. The two case studies chosen are the cities of Lyon (France) and Brussels (Belgium): on a national level “Fair Trade Territories” in France (2009), “Fair Trade Communities” or “Fair Trade Gemeente” in Belgium (2004), the campaign takes the form of a title given to a community, but also the one of an urban sustainable development communication tool. The campaign testifies of the new and central role played by communities in this territorial project, including stakeholder strategies and noticeable tensions concerning the redefinition of fair trade in the North.

Mänskligheten står inför en framtid med klimatförändringar och utmaningar i form av återkommande värmeböljor, ökad nederbörd, urbanisering samt minskad biologisk mångfald. Det blir allt mer attraktivt att bosätta sig i städer och i kombination med befolkningsökningen sker det en snabb global urbanisering. Detta leder till hög exploateringshastighet i våra städer då andelen hårdgjorda ytor ökar och andelen gröna ytor minskar. Vid byggandet av fastigheter tillkommer en stor mängd outnyttjade ytor, ofta i form av mörka tak. Dessa är inte bara outnyttjade ytor på dyr tomtmark utan skapar ytterligare problem kopplade till urbanisering i form av bland annat minskat albedo. Närhet till grönska gör att människor mår både fysiskt och psykiskt bättre vilket avspeglar sig i en högre betalningsvilja för bostäder i närhet till grönska. Privatpersoner samt fastighetsägare vill gärna profilera sig som hållbara då hållbarhet på senare tid kommit att bli en identitetsskapande “statusmarkör”. Hållbara bostäder kan därmed vara en säljande faktor. Grönska på taken är i sig inget nytt påfund men har senaste åren fått en renässans i Sverige då det visat sig kunna ge fördelar såsom tillgång till grönska för de boende, dagvattenhantering, minskad värmeöeffekt och bättre luftkvalitet. Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka hur ett av Europas mest omfattande stadsutvecklingsprojekt, Norra Djurgårdsstaden i Stockholm, arbetar med hållbar urban utveckling genom gröna tak. De gröna taken kan generera en mängd ekonomiska, ekologiska och sociala fördelar i städer. I studien används urban hållbarhetsteori samt ett egenkonstruerat analysramverk baserat på avsnittet tidigare forskning och teori. Genom en kvalitativ innehållsanalys samt semistrukturerade intervjuer har det framkommit i denna studie att den sociala dimensionen av hållbar stadsutveckling utifrån gröna tak i Norra Djurgårdsstaden överskuggas av de två andra aspekterna; ekonomiskt och ekologiskt. Detta trots att hållbarhetsarbetet med Norra Djurgårdsstaden tagit med alla tre aspekter inom hållbar utveckling; ekonomiskt, ekologiskt och socialt i beaktande när det kommer till planering av stadsdelen. / Humanity is today facing a future with climate change and challenges in the form of periodic heatwaves, increased rainfall and reduced biodiversity. The urbanization processes are driven by expanded population growth and it’s becoming more attractive to live in the cities. This causes the dimension of hard surfaces to increase and consequently the proportion of green spaces sinks. In the construction of housing, a large amount of unused space is added in form of dark areas on roofs. These are not only unused areas on expensive land but create additional problems linked to urbanization in the form of decreased albedo. Furthermore, citizens' willingness to pay has been shown to rise with closeness to green surfaces which can provide recreational and health benefits. Private individuals and property owners would like to profile themselves as sustainable, as the term “sustainability” recently has become an identity-created “status marker”. Sustainable housing can therefore also be a selling factor. Green roofs are not a new invention but have had a renaissance over the years as it has proven to provide the availability to green surfaces for the citizens, stormwater management, heat island effect, and provide healthier air quality. The aim of the study was to examine how the district Norra Djurgårdsstaden in Stockholm, Sweden works with sustainable urban development through green roofs. In this study we have used urban sustainability theory as the green roofs can generate a wealth of economic, ecological and social benefits in urban areas. We have also used our own constructed analysis framework based on previous research and urban sustainability theory. By doing a qualitative content analysis, as well as semi-structured interviews, it has appeared that the social dimension of urban sustainable development in Norra Djurgårdsstaden is overshadowed by the two other aspects; the economic and the ecological. Although the sustainability work in Norra Djurgårdsstaden has taken all three aspects; economic, ecological and social into account when it comes to planning of the district, the social aspect is often neglected.

Den mänskliga populationen har tredubblats på 70 år och det råder konsensus om att människan är den dominerande faktorn till klimatförändringarna och den negativa påverkan på ekosystemens processer. Det betonar att den globala utvecklingen främst vilar i mänsklighetens händer, inte minst den urbana utvecklingen då städer i hög grad driver på klimatpåverkan. Därför behövs social-ekologiska hållbara system i städerna utvecklas för att bidra till global hållbarhet och för att främja människors välbefinnande. I städer är grönområden viktiga för människors välbefinnande och gynnar även den ekologiska anknytningen som är betydande för miljöfrämjande värderingar vilket understryker vikten av invånares integreringsmöjligheter med grönområden. Studier pekar däremot på att upplevd otrygghet kan hindra integreringen med grönområden och att kvinnor i högre utsträckning upplever barriärer än män.  Samuelsson, Peterson, Legeby, Brandt, & Barthel (2018) studie syftade till att undersöka människors upplever i Stockholm ur ett miljöpsykologiskt perspektiv. Med den studien som utgångspunkt syftar detta examensarbete till fördjupad förståelse för hur den urbana miljön påverkar registrerade upplevelser baserat på upplevd trygghet och även ur ett könsperspektiv. Samuelsson et al. (2018) utgick från en upplevelse- och deltagande baserad metodik för att förena rumsliga och erfarenhetsmässiga aspekter. I detta examensarbete utfördes därmed två statistiska kvantitativa analyser där den första syftade till att studera samband mellan upplevelser baserat på upplevd trygghet och miljökvalitet. Resultatet visade att positiva trygga upplevelser registrerats främst i grönområden och negativa otrygga i byggd stadsmiljö. Baserat på så få negativa registrerade upplevelser i grönområden syftade den andra analysen till att enbart analysera skillnaden mellan kön och positivt registrerade upplevelser i grönområden och i byggd stadsmiljö. Resultatet visade att kvinnor skattar både byggd stadsmiljö och grönområden i högre grad än män. Resultatet visade även att grönområden i högre grad skattats som positiva än byggd stadsmiljö. Det fanns ingen interaktionseffekt mellan kön och miljökvalitet, men en tendens till ett signifikant resultat.  Utifrån behovet att utveckla hållbara social-ekologiska system i städer för att främja global hållbarhet finns även ett behov att studera människors upplevelser i den urbana miljön. Utifrån resultaten i examensarbetet dras slutsatsen om att åtgärder i stadsutvecklingsprocessen främst bör riktas att designa den byggda stadsmiljön för att främja människors välbefinnande och att grönområden ska bibehållas och stärkas. Studier har visat på att kvinnor i högre utsträckning upplever barriärer för att interagera med grönområden men detta resultat visade inga belägg för det utan tvärtom att kvinnor skattar upplevelser i grönområden högre än män. Därmed anses det vara intressant att i framtida studier studera andra individuella skillnader som kan påverka upplevelserna, exempelvis fysiska och psykiska barriärer. Det vore även intressant att vidare studerar hur element i den urbana miljön, som belysning och bullernivåer, påverkar människors upplevelser och upplevda trygghet. Dessutom bidrar det här examensarbetet med betydande förbättringsförslag till hur framtida PPGIS-undersökningar kan utformas för att förbättra analysmöjligheterna. / The human population has tripled in 70 years and there is a consensus that humankind is the dominant factor in climate change and that ecosystem processes are adversely affected. It emphasizes that global development is primarily in the hands of humanity and, not least, the urban development as cities are greatly driving climate change. This requires sustainable urban systems to contribute to global sustainability and to promote people's well-being. In cities, green spaces are particularly important for people's well-being and also promote the ecological connection that is important for environmental-promoting values. It underlines the importance of residents' integration opportunities with green spaces. Studies, on the other hand, suggest that perception of unsafety can hinder integration with green spaces and that women experience barriers to a greater extent than men.  Samuelsson, Peterson, Legeby, Brandt, & Barthel (2018) study aimed to investigate people's experiences in Stockholm from an environmental-psychology perspective. Based on this study, this thesis aims at a deeper understanding of how the urban environment affects experiences based on perceived safety and from a gender perspective. Samuelsson et al. (2018) study was based on an experience- and participation-based approach to combining spatial and experiential aspects. In this work, two quantitative statistical analyses were carried out in which the first analysis was aimed to study whether there were links between experiences, based on perceived safety, and environmental quality. The result showed that positive safe experiences were recorded mainly in green areas and negative unsafe in built urban environments. Based on a small percentage of negative experiences in green areas the second analysis aimed to analyze only the difference between gender and positively recorded experiences in green areas and in built urban environments. The results showed that women estimating both built urban environment and green spaces in a higher grade than men based on perceived safety. The results also showed that green spaces were more appreciated as positive experiences than built urban environments. There was no statistical interaction between gender and environmental quality, but a tendency of a significant result.  Based on the necessity to develop sustainable social-ecological systems in cities to promote global sustainability, there is also a need to study people's experiences in the urban environment. Based on the results of this thesis, it is concluded that actions in the urban development process should primarily focus on designing the built urban environment in order to promote people's well-being and green spaces should primarily be maintained and strengthened. Studies have shown that women in a greater extent experience barrier to integrate with green spaces, but this thesis showed no evidence of this, instead women rate experiences in green spaces higher than men. Therefore, it is considered interesting to study individual differences that can affect experiences instead, such as physical and mental barriers. It would also be interesting if future studies aimed to study how elements of the urban environment, such as lighting and noise levels, affect people's experiences and perceived safety. In addition, this thesis contributes significant improvement proposals to how future PPGIS surveys can be designed to improve analysis opportunities.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, based on a comparative study in Sweden, how vertical hydroponic farms can be implemented in urban environments and to identify the challenges with the implementation. The study examines various companies that work with hydroponic farms in Sweden and how the government can help the companies with the implementation of the innovation. Urban hydroponic farms can be a significant solution for solving the growing global population demand for locally grown fresh food, which includes good quality and nutrients. Previous studies, from a sustainability perspective, show that Sweden would benefit in several different ways if more hydroponic farms were implemented in the urban cities. The theory that the report is based on is the implementation theory. With this in mind, the empirics were analyzed from three different found themes; economy, political priorities & local involvement. Empirical data was collected from previous studies as well as from a qualitative methodological approach. This empirical study was based on multiple interviews with companies in the hydroponic farms industry located in Sweden and observations, to be able to analyze the findings based on our chosen theme. In this study we found that the result indicates that there are both advantages and obstacles to the implementation of hydroponic farms in urban areas. On the other hand, the benefits are predominantly from a sustainable development perspective with new innovative solutions, such as solar systems and upgraded district heating and district cooling systems.

[pt] A Economia Circular (EC) é apontada como um mecanismo para o desenvolvimento sustentável, e um caminho para mitigar a problemática da geração de resíduos. Na EC o resíduo é recurso em uma nova cadeia produtiva; na prática, isto ocorre por meio do negócio de Recuperação e Reciclagem (RR). No Brasil, o debate sobre EC ainda é exíguo e são poucos os estudos acadêmicos publicados. Com objetivo de identificar as barreiras e as oportunidades para implantar um negócio de RR, à luz da EC, foi realizado um estudo de caso na cadeia de reaproveitamento do óleo de cozinha residual (OCR). Os métodos utilizados na pesquisa qualitativa foram: revisão bibliográfica, análise documental, entrevistas e observação participativa. Observou-se que a RR do OCR ocorre por meio de uma rede circular, composta por diversos agentes, com interesses e estratégias individuais que não incluem o ciclo de vida do produto. Os agentes intermediários, atuantes na logística reversa, são motivados por questões socioeconômicas. As barreiras se manifestam em seis segmentos: sociocultural, organizacional, tecnológico, de mercado, econômico e regulatório; são coincidentes com o quadro teórico, contudo estão associadas às condições socioeconômicas locais e à maturidade da indústria para EC. As oportunidades na EC convergem para o desenvolvimento sustentável. Esta pesquisa sugere que a responsabilidade estendida do produtor e o incentivo à aquisição de recurso secundário são estratégias primordiais para fechar o ciclo de vida do produto; contribui também com informações para tomada de decisão no setor de RR. / [en] Circular Economy (CE) has been pointed as a mechanism to reach sustainable development, also an answer to solid waste challenges. Under CE concept waste is resource in a new supply chain. Recovery and Recycling (RR) is one of the CE business model to turn waste into value. Therefore, CE represents a strategic path for the field of Urban Solid Waste Management. It is expected to bring innovation to this sector and foster large change in waste treatment practices in order to closing the loop. In Brazil, the debate about CE is still in the early stages and there are limited academic studies launched. In order to identify barriers and drivers to implement the CE business model of Recovery and Recycling in Brazil, a singular case study was conducted in the waste cooking oil (WCO) recovery supply chain. Moreover, considering the differences between common recycling practices in the local context and CE RR business model, it is needed to set the studied WCO recycling supply chain into the framework of the CE recovery and recycling business model.

With the global population becoming more urban and less rural, increasingly research has argued for concepts such as establish Green Infrastructure (GI) as a tool for enhancing wildlife survival and human’s living quality (e.g. Harrison et al., 1995; Benedict and McMahon, 2006). However, an interdisciplinary planning approach underpinned by ecological and social evidence has not yet been fully developed. This research therefore seeks to integrate an ecological network with a green space planning standard by exploring the use of biotope and sociotope mapping methods. Seeking a comprehensive planning that takes all green resources into account, a green space typology is firstly developed according to Taiwanese contexts for identifying green spaces from land use maps. In order to specify effective features of these green spaces to bird survival and user preferences, an insight was conducted into the relationship of ‘birds and urban habitats’, as well as ‘human preferred urban green spaces’ in Taipei City. Important environmental factors influencing bird distribution and influencing human experiences in urban green spaces are respectively specified and developed into an ecological value index (EVI) to detail potential habitats and a social value index (SVI) to evaluate recreational green space provision. Interestingly, proximity to green space appears to plays a more critical role in human preferences than bird survival in Taipei city; size is important both as a habitat and for creating an attractive green space; and green space quality tends to be a more significant factor than its structure for both wildlife and people. Utilising the bio-sociotope maps, this thesis argues for a number of strategies: conserving, enlarging, or creating large green spaces in green space deficient areas; increasing ecological and recreational value by enhancing green space quality of specific characteristics; and tackling gravity distance by combining green space accessibility and attractiveness in optimising urban green structure. As these suggestions are a challenge to apply in intensively developed urban areas, barriers from land use, political mechanisms, technical shortages, and cultural characteristics are also explored with possible resolutions presented for facilitating implementation. It is clear that optimising a multifunctional GI for both wildlife and people requires interdisciplinary knowledge and cooperation from various fields. The EVI and SVI developed within this thesis create the potential for a more place-specific and quantifiable green spaces strategy to help better link ecological and social functions in urban areas.

Le développement urbain durable est aujourd’hui une notion centrale des discours sur la ville et des politiques publiques en la matière. Sans être une simple déclinaison du développement durable appliqué à l’urbain, il en reprend quelques grands principes, qui pour certains s’inscrivent dans la longue histoire de l’urbanisme. En tout état de cause, ces principes irriguent aujourd’hui le droit de l’urbanisme. Mais de la norme juridique à l’action concrète, il y a parfois loin, afin, par exemple, de limiter effectivement l’étalement urbain ou encore de réduire les pollutions urbaines. En quelques années,le droit français de l’urbanisme a pourtant été transformé en profondeur pour aider à résoudre ces problèmes et d’autres, et favoriser en ce sens le développement urbain durable. Grâce à quels outils ? Et malgré quels obstacles ? Ces derniers ne sont pas négligeables, et interrogent la capacité réelle du droit français, en l’état, à promouvoir le développement urbain durable à l’échelle des espaces urbains pertinents, voire à ne pas l’entraver. / The urban sustainable development is nowadays a main notion in the discourses about the city and in the concerning public policies. If it isn’t a simple variation of the sustainable development applied to the urban matter, it resumes many of its main principles, which are for some of them keeping with the long story of town planning. In any case, those principles are irrigating the urban law today. But from the legal rule to the concrete action is the way sometimes long, in order to limitefficaciously the urban sprawl or to reduce the urban pollutions for example. For a few year the frenchurban law is however being deeply transformed in order to contribute to resolve these problems and others, and to encourage the urban sustainable development. Thanks to which tools ? And despite of which obstacles ? These obstacles are not insignificant, and the even sound the real capacity of the French law, as it stands, to promote the urban sustainable development on the scale of the pertinent urban spaces, and not to block it.