The Genevois: a territory full of challenges:

With Geneva near by our territory observes a very strong demographic growth. The excessive consumption of land accompanied by bad management of urban development threaten the agricultural activities, its natural space and certainly its attractiveness.

Thus since 2002 the representatives of the communes of the CCG have chosen a tool which enables them to master the development of our territory : the SCOT or « Schéma de COhérence Territoriale » (Programme of coherent development of the territory).

This document marks the orientations and strategy for the coming 15 years of different fields such as transport, housing or agriculture…..

The 17 communes of the CCG establish their local development program (PLU) in coherence with the SCOT. It has to be noted that there is a strong link between these two documents on a territorial scale.

Some examples to show what is at stake in the SCOT:

• Organising the territory. A hierarchy among the communes in 'centre town', 'market towns' and 'villages' establishes the necessity of equipment and service for each level. The same counts for the road network or the distribution of housing.
• Optimising the movements. The high concentration of the population in strategic centres leads the SCOT to favour public transport in particular the "multimodal transport".
• Promoting the values of the territory: thanks to the dynamic actions among the communes and the attractiveness of the project "Porte Sud de Genève", other grand designs have been pictured. Thus the SCOT describes the creation of 3000 jobs in the coming 15 years.
• Perpetuating agriculture: by the protection of cultivated land and the limitation of construction in rural zones.
• Promoting its environment: the SCOT protects our natural landscape as well as the urban landscape. The establishment of a cross-border agreement for river sanitation means a close watch of the quality of the rivers (to keep pollution as low as possible).
• Development of the proximity of tourism in order to promote the cultural and natural wealth of the mountains Salève and Vuache.
• Living in synergy with our neighbours: thanks to a co-development with Geneva our territory wants to develop activities in order to become a centre in the agglomeration and achieve a balance with Geneva. The area of «Grands Projets » situated between St. Julien, Neydens and Archamps would reduce our dependence on Geneva. The agglomerations of Annemasse and Cruseilles and the pays de Gex are also partners of the canton with a number of development projects.

Conclusion : The SCOT isn't the outcome. To render this tool operational other tools have to be added. Like the local housing development program (PLH), the public facility for financing the purchase of land (EPF) or the project of the 'Porte Sud de Genève' create an entity of conditions which favour a mastered and balanced development.

If you like to know more about it, you can download the complete document of the SCOT (399 ko), here. (in French)

Other visual and technical information, cartographic orientations of the SCOT, are available for you. (glossary in French)