Containing urban sprawl by developing high-density areas in three precise zones

The region of Annecy combines four highly distinct areas: the lakefront, the residential hills, the commercial zones, and the plain. Open urban development is one of the city’s greatest assets: it links Annecy to the surrounding natural environment and maintains views stretching into the distance. Though 20,000 new residences are expected by 2050, this enormous increase must not compromise the city’s openness. Preserving both the scattered nature of the built environment and the deep relationship between city and countryside is essential.

The challenge is determining where and how to absorb population growth, without upsetting existing balances.

Our project is rooted in the building blocks of the region, including natural and landscaped features, open urban development, topography, road networks, and transitional spaces. By expanding, preserving, improving, or simply highlighting these elements, our project revitalizes Annecy beyond a picture postcard and toward a city in tune with the dynamics that shape it.

Landscape infrastructure: Structuring the city from the edges in. Historically, the city edges have supported the development of commercial infrastructure. Today, these edges are simultaneously widened to further integrate infrastructure, commercial areas, and industrial zones.

Urban infrastructure: Developing three project areas in the east, city center, and west to selectively densify the diffuse city. Today, activities, jobs, residents, and amenities are concentrated in areas that represent neither the image nor identity of Annecy. Decentralizing these areas can be achieved by designing future neighborhoods that both accommodate urban intensity and maintain harmony with the true dynamics of the region – between lake and hill, between commercial zones and existing transitional spaces.

This approach does not seek to create an intensely developed city everywhere; rather, we propose developing precise high-density zones, while maintaining quiet areas elsewhere.

Mobility infrastructure: Connecting the entire territory with easy-to-navigate transportation infrastructure that prioritizes active mobility and local trips. Designing continuous landscapes to connect commercial, residential, and natural areas also provides the opportunity to create resilient public spaces adapted to climate and energy needs.