RURAL COUNTRY France

CHARACTERISTICS

In France rural development is not only about agriculture, it is also about services, about innovations. France have had an high metropolisation: in the 70s 70% of the population was rural. Now it is going the other way round, 70% is in urban surroudings and 30% in rural areas. This impact can be seen in the agriculture sector: there was around 4.5millions farms in the 70s, there is 500 000 left now.

FOCUS

One of  the most interesting phenomenon is that nowadays, people having lived in the cities are coming back to the country for its quality of life and are creating new activities in rural areas. This is an high source of innovation, of dynamism and openness.

RURAL REGION Basse-Normandie

CHARACTERISTICS

Basse-Normandie is a region of 1 400 000 inhabitants next to Britanny. It is mostly a rural area, and young people are mostly not staying there to spend the rest of their lives. Main economical activities are linked with agriculture, fishing, nuclear industry and tourism.

FOCUS

Urban centralised policies are often not taking in account rural areas problematics. On a regional scale, reforms are mostly settled for urban areas, rural  world is minored. For example with urbanism and planing laws, it is more and more difficult to build in small villages, so that public services disapear, for example for health.

There is also a lot of dwellings in vacancy in the center of villages. Appartments stay empty. This leads to a problem of habitat and local development : the local businesses close; to a problem of urbanism : agricultural fields disapear although there are vacancy for inhabitants; to a problem of energy : these habitats need retrofitting.

RURAL STAKEHOLDER SCIC les 7 Vents

CHARACTERISTICS

Les 7 Vents' premises are in Coutances, between Cherbourg and le Mont Saint Michel, between seaside and countryside, mostly surrounded by hedges. Les 7 Vents is a utility cooperative that deals with energy, climate and sustainable development. We gather bodies and individuals around a non-profit goal. Our members and partners perform daily together in creating a sustainable framework to the development of sustainable systems, that can be from micro-economics to heating systems.

FOCUS

Les 7 Vents is at the service of companies, public bodies and individuals. They acknowledge us thanks to the actions we are managing daily:

• Each year, the team provides independent, objective advice to about 1,500 citizens as Espace Info Energie (public advice place for free energy advice).
• During its 15 years of existence, more than 200 studies and supports were provided to businesses and communities through our design and consultancy office.
• In Lower Normandy, an Ecosite, a local energy agency and other European projects are among the innovative pilot projects we developed. We have grouped these activities under the name of innovation lab.