Francesca Artioli, Nicolas Maisetti, Ludovic Halbert, and Félix Adisson have just published their book La ville verte au pied du mur (The Green City with its Back to the Wall), released by Presses de Sciences Po on Friday, March 6, 2026. This book traces the tensions between the environmental aspirations of urban governments and their constraints due to austerity measures.
"What do the deployment of dozens of kilometers of bike paths in the city of Bordeaux, the renovation of old housing in the medieval center of Cahors using hemp, and the project to create a 220-hectare "green loop" in the inner suburbs of Paris have in common? Each in its own way, these actions illustrate the greening of urban policies. However, this dynamic is coming up against the deterioration of public finances, putting local officials in a tight spot.
The extensive survey described here reveals the tensions between the environmental aspirations of urban governments and the constraints imposed by austerity. Public action is governed by a territorial regime of budgetary consolidation, which explains the selection process applied to public policies and services, as well as the transformation of local administrations into fundraisers.
