CERQUAL: housing certification body
Social Integration Clauses: a procedure aiming to introduce into contracts clauses promoting the employment of persons who are having difficulty finding work, with a view to fighting unemployment.
CSTB: A body which certifies the high environmental quality of tertiary sector operations
Sustainable development: sustainable development is a mode of economic development that aims to reconcile economic and social progress with the preservation of the environment, which is a legacy to be transmitted to future generations.
DUP: Declaration of Public Utility
An administrative procedure representing the preliminary phase of a real-estate operation planned by a public body, such as an expropriation, for public benefit. After consultation with the concerned population, a necessary condition before starting the operation which has to be of demonstrated public utility, this declaration states the fact that the operation is beneficial to public order. The public utility declaration is valid for a duration of five years.
ECOPASS (standard)
Organization which gives ISO certification, approved by COFRAC (an association which delivers accreditation to certifying bodies)
Environmental Management System : The environmental management system (EMS) is a specific internal mode of organization which enables a given body to improve its environmental impact on a permanent basis.
EPA: Public Development Authority (Etablissement Public d’Aménagement)
Public Development Authorities are public institutions of a commercial and industrial nature, which have the status of financially autonomous corporate bodies, in charge of carrying out real estate or development operations for their own benefit or for the benefit of the state, local authorities, or other public institutions.
HQE: Association which proposes an approach based on a specific method for conducting High Environmental Quality operations (14-target list). The targets of the HQE approach are: quality of water, quality of air, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, energy management, water management, low-nuisance construction sites, etc.
ISO 14001 standard: ISO 14001 is an international standard which sets requirements for environmental
Mixed-use transport hub: The regrouping and organization in a single place of all different modes of transport (trains, cars, buses, long and short-term parking, bicycle parking, walkways, etc.)
OIN: Operation of National Interest
An Operation of National Interest (OIN) is an urban planning operation which falls under distinctive legal arrangements due to its high importance. management systems in view of certification.
PADD: Sustainable Planning and Development Programme (Programme d’Aménagement et de Développement Durable)
The PADD defines the urban project and as such represents a strategic and dynamic element of the Local Town Plan (see definition of PLU below). It consists of three parts:
PDU: Urban Travel Plan (Plan de Déplacement Urbain)
This plan defines the organizational principles for the transportation of persons and goods, for traffic and parking within urban transport areas. Its aim is therefore to ensure a sustainable balance between needs in terms of mobility and accessibility, while coordinating the different modes of transport, and promoting those modes which are least polluting and energy-consuming.
Planted roofs:
Planting greenery on roofs improves their acoustic and thermal insulation and lengthens their life span by limiting surface temperature.
Plants naturally filter dust and regulate the microclimate’s humidity level. When it rains heavily, planted roofs retain 70 to 90% of rainwater, thus delaying its evacuation.
PLU: Local Town Plan (Plan Local d’Urbanisme)
The Local Town Plan (PLU) is the municipal (communal) or intermunicipal (intercommunal) urban planning document. It replaces the previous “plan d’occupation des sols” (POS) (Land use plan), following the December 2000 law on solidarity and urban renewal, called the “SRU law”. The PLU defines the general rules and land use easements, with possible construction prohibitions, separates the area into zones and designates where buildings are to be constructed. It is made up of four parts:
“Soft” modes of transport: Means of transport which are alternative to using a car, are less polluting and noisy, such as cycling, walking, shuttle boats, etc.
Subsidized Rental Purchase Loan : The Subsidized Rental Purchase Loan (PSLA- Prêt Social Location Accession) was created in order to help households which cannot afford a downpayment to purchase housing in the framework of a “rental-purchase” contract (a contract enabling a tenant to purchase his home after some time).
SDRIF (Schéma Directeur de la Région Ile de France): Master Plan of the Ile de France Region.
Prospective document covering Paris and 7 départements. It draws the outline for other planning documents and infrastructure programmes which can be elaborated within this framework. It defines general development orientations pertaining to:
Sustainable city: Promoting urbanization while fostering social, economic, urban development, the sustainability of natural resources and preservation of a high quality of life.
Total Floor Area (TGFA, TNFA) : The TFA corresponds to the floor area of buildings whose construction has been authorized and is calculated by determining the total gross floor area (TGFA), and after deduction of certain areas, the total net floor area (TNFA). The TNFA represents the basis for calculating urban planning taxes and contributions and is the reference for determining specific conditions or regulations.
Valley gutter: A valley gutter is a wide and shallow gutter meant for rain water reclamation and storage; the water can then be used for watering and cleaning.
ZAC: Concerted Planning Zone (Zone d’Aménagement Concerté)
ZACs can be defined as public initiative operations making it possible to plan public facilities and provide constructible land for various uses (housing, shops, activities, etc.). These zones can also be created for building restoration purposes or on the contrary involve demolition.