Image directrice intercommunale Perly-Certoux, Bardonnex, Plan-les-Ouates
A New Perspective on Urban Densification
What if urban intensification were an opportunity not only to provide housing and jobs, but also to feed the population and reduce its exposure to risks associated with climate change? What if development were an opportunity to improve the current situation? It is with this conviction that the intermunicipal master plan was developed, at the intersection of urban, agricultural, and ecological dynamics.
The project site, located on the cross-border boundary, faces numerous challenges that were identified and incorporated into the final report: preserving agricultural land (particularly crop rotation areas), integrating a future transit-oriented tram line, and accommodating new residents and jobs, all while preserving its rural and village character.
The development of the specifications, the selection of teams, and the working method were designed to foster a gradual, iterative, and collaborative process—leading to the creation of a single guiding vision that reflects a territorial and political consensus. The working process, carried out in close collaboration between the municipalities, the Canton of Geneva, and the project management team, gave rise to a shared and ambitious vision with three development horizons that mark a comprehensive transformation through inward densification and the redevelopment of public spaces along the Route de Saint-Julien, the main thoroughfare.
The guiding vision prioritizes controlled, high-quality densification centered around transportation corridors, avoiding urban sprawl into agricultural areas as much as possible. It also proposes strengthening ecological connectivity and actively promoting local food production by focusing on intensive and integrated urban agriculture.
mandate type : project management support and intermunicipal guiding image
client : Geneva Canton Urban Planning Office, the municipality of Perly-Certoux, the municipality of Bardonnex, and the municipality of Plan-les-Ouates
period : 2022-2025
program : agriculture, housing, education and research, commerce, agri-logistics hub
services provided : project specifications, test planning, participatory test workshops, synthesis and guiding image
project lead : Lucile Ado
architecture and urbanism : Raum404
consultation and environment : Latitude Durable
mobility : Viatron
site area : 400 ha