Groslay Urban Planning: Local Urban Plan Cartography

Extract

[...] Although the instruction of building permits may seem like a dry subject, I believe it is a fundamental domain for the life of a commune and for the preservation of its environment. In fact, the instruction of building permits is a technical competence that requires precise knowledge in the fields of roads, architecture, urban regulation, environmental standards, and so on. This experience allowed me to develop skills in these areas, but I am aware that I still have a lot to learn. [...]

[...] The urban planning department is responsible for the organization and development of the urban spaces of the Commune. Its mission is to ensure a certain balance between the different functions of the Commune (such as housing, green spaces, commerce, transportation) and to implement urban projects announced by elected officials within the framework of their political program for the Commune. The urban planning department is required to work with a range of public actors (internal services) or other local authorities (the Region, the agglomeration community of which the Commune of Groslay is a part, known as the Plaine Vallée Agglomeration Community). [...]

[...] These constructions can only be carried out by respecting the Local Urban Plan (PLU) voted by the Commune. My main missions consisted of consulting and accompanying the processing of building permit applications. In a second part of the internship, I was able to learn how to verify their compliance with the Local Urban Plan in force and to ensure their follow-up. I also participated in the drafting of letters responding to requests from individuals and professionals regarding urban planning permits. [...]

[...] I will therefore ask myself: in what way is the PLU a strategic tool essential for coordinating the different development issues of the Communes? We will answer this question in two steps: first, we will see that the PLU is a planning and management tool for urban spaces; second, we will analyze the specificities of this PLU and see that it is a document that reflects a political vision. I. The PLU, a planning and management tool for urban spaces A. [...]

[...] A regulation defining the rules of constructability For the instruction of building permits, it was therefore essential during my internship to refer to the PLU. A first step consists for the instructor to have a global view of the address of the construction site, then to look more closely at the construction project and to see if it is well compatible with the PLU regulation. In fact, the PLU regulation is essential because it serves to enclose and regulate the use of land, determining the rights to build or the rules of architecture to be respected in terms of construction. [...]