Eco-Friendly Urban Planning: Projects for a Sustainable City

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Global warming is just one aspect of the challenges facing communities today. City dwellers now aspire to rebuild social ties, reintroduce greenery, and enjoy sustainable street furniture.

Neweco-friendly urban development projects involve the reorganization of spaces, the creation of eco-neighborhoods, and more environmentally stringent building codes. Polymobyl helps project developers, architects, and urban planners design a coherent and sustainable overall layout.

What are the new goals of urban development?

Today’s cities are undergoing profound changes. Sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, and biodiversity are shaping urban planning decisions and projects. The emergence of eco-neighborhoods is having a particularly strong impact, requiring complete coherence between buildings, infrastructure, and street furniture.

Environmentally Friendly Design Standards

All new buildings must comply with RE2020. This regulation sets strict standards for energy efficiency, reducing the carbon footprint, and resilience to heat waves.

Eco-friendly street furniture must follow the same principles. This allows us to create a meaningful project at the scale of a site, a neighborhood, or an entire city.

Sustainable street furniture

Vandal-resistance and environmental friendliness are not mutually exclusive. Sturdy equipment is, by definition, more durable than less robust items, which must be replaced frequently. Choosing high-quality furniture is therefore an environmentally friendly choice in itself.

How can green spaces be incorporated into an urban planning project?

Eco-friendly urban planning addresses a growing need to incorporate greenery into public spaces. This initiative has three objectives: to combat heat islands, improve user comfort, and reconnect people with nature. Less concrete, more greenery, spaces designed with residents in mind: this is the city of today.

Bringing Plants Back into Urban Environments Through Street Furniture

Polymobyl is committed to anticipating trends in urban planning. As a result, we have developed greening solutions tailored to the challenges faced by local governments:

Urban planters make it possible to add greenery without major construction work. They can be used freestanding or against a structure and are available in metal or wood, with or without trellises. The CUB wooden planter is an example of a product that combines natural aesthetics, durability, and the greening of public spaces.
Shade structures and pergolas create areas sheltered from the sun in public squares, train station plazas, on college campuses, and in eco-neighborhoods. These shading structures promote thermal comfort and energy efficiency by reducing the need for air conditioning in adjacent spaces.
Green pergolas combine shade with plantings to create true oases of coolness. They are particularly well-suited for eco-neighborhoods and areas with heavy pedestrian traffic.

Bringing plants back into public spaces helps address energy efficiency challenges and creates pleasant places to spend time.

Comprehensive design solutions

One of Polymobyl’s strengths lies in its holistic approach. We don’t just offer individual pieces of furniture; we also provide a comprehensive plan for eco-friendly urban design.

All of our products can be combined to create a cohesive design. A space featuring a green pergola, planters, benches, picnic tables, and trash cans, for example, provides comfort and functionality for users. By customizing the various elements, you can achieve a harmonious visual look that reflects your city’s image.

Eco-design of street furniture:
—what are our commitments?

Polymobyl approaches each product with a focus on sustainability from the design stage onward, not just during its use. This vision involves making careful choices regarding materials, finishes, manufacturing processes, and the end-of-life management of equipment.

Sustainable and recyclable materials

We prioritize bio-based raw materials or those sourced from responsible supply chains. We also place great importance on their durability and recyclability. Our products are also part of a strong circular economy loop with our various suppliers. Our eco-designed street furniture incorporates the following materials:

Wood (local species from sustainably managed forests, particularly Douglas fir): This natural material creates a warm, inviting look. It is recyclable and has a low carbon footprint.
Aluminum: 100% recycled and recyclable, ultra-lightweight and durable; it does not rust or warp. Wood-grain aluminum offers a maintenance-free alternative to natural wood.
Steel: Sturdy and treated with powder coating or hot-dip galvanizing for maximum durability, this material is extremely resistant to vandalism and the elements.

Eco-friendly finishes

Polymobyl is committed to selecting the least toxic paints and products, while ensuring their long-term durability. The goal is to reduce the environmental impact of surface treatments without compromising the products’ durability against weather, UV rays, and intensive use in urban environments.

Circular Economy, Environmental Impact: What Guarantees Does Our Eco-Friendly Street Furniture Offer?

For several years now, Polymobyl has been implementing an eco-design approach that covers the entire life cycle of its products. We have also engaged an independent consultant to assess the environmental impact of our street furniture.

The Importance of End-of-Life Care

Our furniture can be repurposed or recycled after use, thereby supporting a circular economy approach. Steel, aluminum, and certified wood species can be reintroduced into new production cycles. Furthermore, our products are designed from the outset to be repairable, which extends their useful life.

Environmental Labeling

An independent audit conducted by the firm Eco Impact assessed the environmental impact of certain pieces of furniture. The rating takes into account all stages of production, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of the products’ life cycle. It also considers manufacturing and transportation conditions.

This audit allowed us to reinforce our strategy and best practices. More than fifteen impact indicators were evaluated, enabling us to quantify a product’s effects on air, water, and soil pollution, as well as resource depletion… Our product scoring is based on
, an LCA framework in accordance with Article 2 of the Climate and Resilience Act.

Three of our eco-friendly urban furnishings received an A rating: the LUD trash can, the NUT picnic table, and the CUB stool. Our bike shelters also earned this rating.

Why choose Polymobyl for eco-friendly urban design?

Since 1986, we have been the go-to partner for sustainable development projects.

Polymobyl stands out from other service providers in several ways:

40 years of experience serving local governments, businesses, developers, and urban planners;
integrated eco-design starting from the design phase and throughout the entire life cycle of the equipment;
designing cohesive and flexible spaces tailored to the project’s intended use, environment, and environmental goals;
a single point of contact from the initial audit through installation;
compatibility with eco-neighborhood projects, sustainable urban redevelopment projects, or high-environmental-quality zones;
solutions eligible for funding programs (Alvéole Plus, Objectif Employeur Pro-Vélo, etc.).

Successful eco-friendly urban planning relies on a comprehensive vision, thoughtfully selected materials, and a partner capable of supporting the project from start to finish. Polymobyl gives your vision the means to become a reality, with a commitment to environmental standards from the very beginning of the design process. Request your customized audit.