© Copyright 2009
CIVITAS VANGUARD
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| La Rochelle |
La Rochelle website
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| La Rochelle Urban Community lies on the French Atlantic coast in the Poitou-Charentes region. It includes the City of La Rochelle and its 17 surroundings communes. Total Population on this area amounts to 160,000 inhabitants (approx. 21,000 hectares) and it may reach up to 250,000 people during summer. |
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La Rochelle maintains strong links with the sea, harbouring one of Europe’s largest yachting marinas as well as an important nautical industry. The economic dynamism of the Urban Community of La Rochelle and its capacity to create jobs (12,000 jobs increase in 10 years) are drivers for change. Other key features for La Rochelle:
- the settlement of the University (10,000 students),•
- the development of a policy favoring quality of life, sustainable transport and urban ecology
- the presence of a great number of SMEs (7000),
- a strong maritime heritage, notably with the commercial harbour.
La Rochelle is also recognised for its pioneering transport policies and has succeeded over the years in developing a genuine ethos of urban ecology, from the 1st town centre pedestrianised precinct in 1973, to the 1st car-free day in 1997, not forgetting the 1st ‘yellow bicycles’ bike loan in 1976.
In that context, CIVITAS-SUCCESS appears as part of the global environmental strategy of the local authority for improving quality of life throughout the whole territory.
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