Thesis supervisor
: Taoufik Souami
Faced with negative feedback during the implementation of sustainable urban projects, urban planners are increasingly incorporating energy system operational concerns into their designs. The aim of this research is to examine the effects of this integration of operational issues on the urban design process. Based on a case study, we show that the integration of operational concerns leads to changes in technical choices, energy objectives, and the social organization of design. We are witnessing a bifurcation of technical choices, following double-loop learning by stakeholders, where objectives must be reviewed during the design process in order to move forward. Indeed, thinking in terms of operation leads to different design choices that prioritize quality of use and services provided.
In terms of design organization, the integration of operational concerns does not
call into question the hierarchical and linear organization of stakeholders' activities. However, it facilitates the emergence of new stakeholders such as energy and multi-service system operators. More broadly, research shows that feedback from more than 15 years of experience in the operation of sustainable neighborhoods contributes to an interprofessional learning process, the results of which produce new technical references or projects and contribute to the renewal of professional cultures. In this way, the design activity is transformed. The analysis emphasizes the importance of technical objects in consolidating the learning of stakeholders, objects around which lessons and feedback crystallize.
Defense on Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Year of enrollment
: 2018
Doctoral school
: VTT – City, Transportation, and Territories
Doctoral thesis in urban planning and development
Composition of the jury
Véronique Biau, Chief Architect-Urban Planner of the State, École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Paris-La Villette (Rapporteur)
Gilles Debizet, Senior Lecturer, University of Grenoble-Alpes (Rapporteur)
Joëlle Forest, Senior Lecturer, National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (Examiner)
Caroline Gallez, Director of Research, Gustave Eiffel University (Examiner)
Laurent Michelin, Director of Innovation, Bouygues Immobilier (Guest member)
Taoufik Souami, Professor, University of Paris-Est (Thesis supervisor)