Nice écovallée

Maelle Combe,
Project Manager Territories and Partnerships in Nice Ecovallée.

Nice Eco-Vallée is a 10,000 hectare area within the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolitan area. In 2008, an Operation of General Interest (OIN) was decreed in this strategic territory for the development of the metropolis. It is a territory that is constrained by the coastline and relatively limited development areas and is now being altered by many years of uncontrolled development. The intention was to be able to create a new centre for the metropolis.

A Public Development Agency (EPA) has been created to carry out this OIN. Its territory of action is not only located in Nice but also involves about fifteen municipalities. The EPA is not a developer on the 10,000 hectares. About 450 hectares have been identified as urbanizable and Nice Eco-Vallée is now the owner of 110 hectares.

The strategic axes of the project aim to strengthen the position of the fifth largest city in France through increased economic attractiveness, the creation of jobs and housing, the creation of an eco-example development that reconciles the environment and the economy, and the coherence of this territory.

On the 110 hectares where EPA is the owner, it plays a “classic” planning role: land acquisitions, development work on networks, roads and public spaces, drafting of specifications, launching competitions and calls for projects and monitoring the progress of the work. On a territorial scale, Nice Eco-Vallée has above all a role as an “assembler”. Funded by the State, the South Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the Alpes Maritimes Department, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolitan Area, the City of Nice, and the other municipalities concerned on the territory, it is also subsidised by European calls for projects, in particular on innovative devices, such as geothermal energy, smart grids and rainwater management.

Some areas of intervention:

The Grand Arénas aims to develop, in the immediate vicinity of the airport, an attractive international centre, around two structuring facilities : the modal exchange hub (which links the train, airport, buses and tramway) and a park and exhibitions that must also be developed. It is also about making it a centre of life.

Nice Méridia on the concept of the urban technopole, green technologies, the city of tomorrow and health. The idea is to be able to promote interactions between training centres, companies, start-ups and residents.

The operation of La Baronne-Lingostière on which an agri-food platform is being developed. This is the relocation of the National Interest Market, which is now part of the Grand Arénas.