MISCELLANEA GEOGRAPHICA – REGIONAL STUDIES ON DEVELOPMENT

Department of Geography,
Université de Bourgogne, France
e-mail: yves.boquet@u-bourgogne.fr
Yves Boquet
Received: 3 June 2016
Accepted: 15 March 2017

Abstract
Tramways have made a remarkable comeback in France since the
1980s. An organization of public transport based on the decentralized
administration system set up in the early 1980s has allowed local urban
authorities to make their own choices to develop public transport networks
in the context of automobile domination. As in many other countries,
worries about fossil fuel dependency and demands concerning sustainable
urban development appear as strong elements in favour of urban light rail.
However, in France, tramways are not just technical solutions for traffic
congestion, they have also become a symbol of a cultural mutation in urban
development planning. Coupled with a national political push for a more
inclusive city in social terms, tramways are the backbone of contemporary
urban policies, in a French version of transit-oriented development (TOD),
especially for mid-size cities.
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Modal shift from private cars to public transportation is often
presented as one of the pillars of sustainable mobility in cities
(Ferbrache & Knowles 2016) under the “European model”. At the
same time, the (re) building of cities through the reorganization
of daily mobilities is at the centre of debates on urban land use
and urban policies. In France, this debate is happening in the
midst of a spectacular revival of tramways, which had basically
disappeared in contrast to neighbouring countries, and which
are now making a strong comeback in conjunction with the
development of “soft” mobilities (biking, walking), efforts to set
up intermodal hubs at train stations, and the search for a more
harmonious city in terms of land use and social relations. Can
France be considered a model for the development of urban light
rail transit? (Freemark 2012).
Streetcars were major contributors to the growth of European
and American cities in the late 19th century. Alongside commuter
rail, they allowed middle-class workers to move away from the
crowded and expensive city centres. However, after World War I,
the rise of the automobile led to a decline in the use of streetcars
and the length of networks. After World War II, most French cities,
as in the United States, scrapped streetcar networks completely,
removing tracks from city streets, even though this trend was not
followed in all European countries, as shown by the Netherlands,
Germany and Central European countries.
However, the oil shocks and the beginning of the economic
crisis in the 1970s, on the one hand, and the growing congestion
and pollution problems in cities, on the other hand, led to a new
political agenda regarding public transit. After Nantes decided
to restart its tram service in 1985, followed by Grenoble in
1987, more cities embraced light rail as a backbone of their
transportation networks and as a central tool for sustainable
urban development. France can now boast about a quarter of all
world-wide tramway systems launched since 1980.
This raises many questions. Why this sudden revival, when
the country had abandoned this transportation mode a few
decades before? (Offner 1988, Larroque 1989) Is tramway better
than Bus Rapid Transit? (Rabuel 2009) How are the new streetcar
networks comparable to the previous networks? How are they
integrated into comprehensive strategies for smart urbanism
through the promotion of transit-oriented development, which
uses high density urban transit corridors as the backbone
of urban development, in order to minimize the use of private
automobiles? How are trams related to bicycle rental schemes
and the redevelopment of train stations due to the arrival of highspeed
rail? What are the financing mechanisms for streetcar
development and the expected outcomes of urban rail? Are the
expectations of ridership met after a few years of tramway use?
What should be the adequate size of the network? How does it fit
with new concerns about sustainable development and a socially
more inclusive city?
French tramways: from golden age to disappearance and
renaissance
The rise of trams
The very first street tramways in the world opened in New
York City (1832) and New Orleans (1835). American promoters
brought the tramway idea to Europe. The first application in
France – and in Europe – was in 1855 in Paris. This was followed
The renaissance of tramways and urban redevelopment
in France
Department of Geography,
Université de Bourgogne, France
e-mail: yves.boquet@u-bourgogne.fr
Yves Boquet
Received: 3 June 2016
Accepted: 15 March 2017
Abstract
Tramways have made a remarkable comeback in France since the
1980s. An organization of public transport based on the decentralized
administration system set up in the early 1980s has allowed local urban
authorities to make their own choices to develop public transport networks
in the context of automobile domination. As in many other countries,
worries about fossil fuel dependency and demands concerning sustainable
urban development appear as strong elements in favour of urban light rail.
However, in France, tramways are not just technical solutions for traffic
congestion, they have also become a symbol of a cultural mutation in urban
development planning. Coupled with a national political push for a more
inclusive city in social terms, tramways are the backbone of contemporary
urban policies, in a French version of transit-oriented development (TOD),
especially for mid-size cities.
Keywords
City planning • tramway • sustainability • green transportation • TOD • France
Introduction
© University of Warsaw – Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 11/21/17 12:53 PM
Vol. 21 • No. 1 • 2017 • pp. 5-18 • ISSN: 2084-6118 • DOI: 10.1515/mgrsd-2017-0005
MISCELLANEA GEOGRAPHICA – REGIONAL STUDIES ON DEVELOPMENT
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by London in 1861, Copenhagen in 1863, and Lille in 1867. In
1873 there were already 22 lines in Paris. By the end of the 19th
century, many other French cities were served by horse trams.