Revitalization of town centres

National Program

Devitalization of city centres is an important issue for development policies. The Government wishes to strengthen the presence of dynamic and lively town centres in the countryside and in suburban areas. The loss of attractiveness of many small municipalities in these territories is a phenomenon that challenges quality of life, social cohesion and local economic development.

In this context, the Commissariat Général à l’Égalité des Territoires (CGET) pilot an experiment aimed at giving local authorities tools to act on the revitalization of town centres. This experiment should make it possible to measure the results of the actions carried out on the dynamics of the territories and to draw from them more general lessons in order to adapt the measures relating to public policies for the revitalization of town/city centres.

The Interdepartmental Committee on Rural Development of 14 September 2015 helped to strengthen this support. €300 million from the local investment support fund will be mobilized to support the development of towns and cities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants (measure 15).