Skeptics might argue that urban environments, as we’ve always known them—concrete jungles teeming with pollution and waste—could never achieve a low carbon footprint. But they couldn’t be more wrong! Through smart choices in mobility, materials, resource management, and green space design, creating fully decarbonized neighborhoods is now within reach, according to AGORA experts Alexandre Londot, Vanessa Villeneuve, and Yves Biwer.
Not every neighborhood, of course, has the chance or the resources to completely overhaul its practices and infrastructure to become instantly greener and more sustainable. AGORA, however, as a developer of new neighborhoods on former industrial sites, has the unique advantage of building sustainable communities from the ground up. This position allows them to explore the best eco-friendly practices, foster the most innovative technologies, and even rethink the entire concept of urban development. Alexandre Londot, Director of Operations, Yves Biwer, Managing Director of the Metzeschmelz district, and Vanessa Villeneuve, Senior Project Engineer, provide real-world examples of how they are tackling the challenge of creating decarbonized neighborhoods.
Reducing carbon footprint starts with early planning and groundbreaking, right?
Alexandre Londot, Director of Operations, AGORA: “Absolutely! We are increasingly aware of how interconnected all the different elements of eco-responsibility are: mobility is linked to green spaces and street layouts, which in turn connect to the choice of construction materials and methods, and these are often tied into energy practices and water management. We need to factor in all of these aspects from the very start of the planning process because integrating them cohesively will shape the vision and lay the foundation for the master plan, the detailed local development plan (‘PAP’), the street design, and more.”
Vanessa Villeneuve, Project Engineer, AGORA: “When it comes to groundbreaking, I’d say choosing the right materials is one of the first key steps to minimizing the carbon footprint. We prioritize reusable or low-carbon materials, like decarbonized steel. As for the buildings themselves, it’s ultimately up to developers and investors, but AGORA sets criteria in its call for tenders and guidelines to encourage sustainable building practices. Another approach is requiring stringent environmental certifications. Beyond materials, buildings must meet high energy efficiency standards, and this planning starts well before construction, for example, through things like sunlight studies that influence window placement and design.”
Yves Biwer, Managing Director of the Metzeschmelz district: “I would add that, right from the beginning of the planning and reflection stages, sustainable initiatives need to be measurable and trackable, with regular evaluations throughout the process to ensure they’re delivering the desired impact, and to allow for adjustments when they’re not. This innovative approach, which wasn’t fully embraced during the Belval project 20 years ago, now offers us a great opportunity for improvement with Metzeschmelz!”
Energy and water management are key to low-carbon neighborhoods, aren’t they?
Alexandre Londot : “Indeed. A good example is the Symbiosis concept we’re developing for Metzeschmelz, which integrates water and energy management from the design phase. Symbiosis advocates for intelligent water and energy networks, maximizing recovery and reuse across multiple usage cycles. For instance, energy is derived from a smart mix of photovoltaic electricity and heat pumps, with production adjusted to match real-time demand. Surplus energy is stored for later use, and even the heat generated by air conditioning systems is captured and reused. This circular approach is also applied to stormwater and wastewater management, as well as waste, which is transformed into energy.”
Does agora focus heavily on sustainable mobility to shape low-carbon neighborhoods?
Alexandre Londot : “We’ve recently rolled out a new mobility plan for Belval, which includes integrating a tram, a high-service bus lane, a new train station, and mobility hubs to reduce car use, as well as creating bike lanes. The aim is to decrease the number of motorized vehicles and promote public transport and active mobility (walking and cycling). In the long run, initiatives like these, based on intermodality—combining various greener transport modes—are proven to significantly reduce the carbon footprint.”
How does expanding green spaces is part of the strategy?
Yves Biwer: “Our vision is for green spaces to be everywhere—not just in large parks at the center of the neighborhood, but throughout public spaces, on sidewalk extensions, along street edges, on building facades and rooftops. Not only do they help reduce the carbon footprint, but they also create cool zones and pleasant microclimates that are essential for urban living, while promoting biodiversity. We’re also making a concerted effort to combine green spaces with sustainable mobility in the most coherent way possible.”
AGORA’s concrete examples show that decarbonizing urban neighborhoods is more than just an ambitious vision—it’s a reality in progress. With innovative initiatives and meticulous planning, the cities of tomorrow can become models of sustainability and quality of life.
Interview with Agora employees, partners and experts, with the “Défis urbains” series, discover the values defended and implemented by AGORA.
Discover all the articles of this series by clicking on the tag below.