Case Study: Preservation of the historic centre of old Le Mans - Le Mans, France

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Synopsis

Le Mans' transport policy includes the following five objectives:

• improvement of the quality and reliability of service of public transport,
• reduction of the flow of private vehicles from the suburbs (both inner and outer suburbs),
• reduction of pollution: NGV buses, LPG municipal and community vehicles,
• a rethinking of the arrangements for delivery of goods,
• extension of the pedestrian precinct in the town centre.

The old part of the town has old half-timbered houses, Renaissance mansions and lovely paved streets edged with guard stones - over an area of nine hectares. In 1972, this part of the town was in a poor state of repair and had acquired a bad reputation. Major rehabilitation work was therefore launched and remarkable results were achieved, thanks to the joint efforts of the local authorities, central government and of private individuals. Measures have recently been introduced to preserve the historic value of the restored part of the old town. Amongst these measures is the enforcement of restricted access intended to allow access for local residents only over 75% of the protected area. In addition to this, parking in some of the squares bordering the restricted area is now subject to a charge, with local residents benefiting from preferential rates. The above measures are contributing to the maintenance of quality of life in the old part of the town.

Target groups: residents
Fields: urban planning - integrated approach / urban transport plans

This case study is one of 175 projects from the Smile Project Local Experiences Database listed on this website.

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Car Use : Citizens : Freight : Local Government : Mobility Management : Planning issues : Public Transport : Regional Government : Sustainable Transport : Urban Transport : User behaviour

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Ville de Le Mans