Franco-Vaud-Geneva conurbation

The publication in 1997 of the "Charte d'aménagement de l'agglomération transfrontalière franco-valdo-genevoise" (France-Vaud-Geneva Conurbation Development Charter) was the concrete manifestation of this conurbation project.

This charter defines a development scheme which aims not only to reconsider the France-Vaud-Geneva area as a coherent unit, but equally to reinforce the key position of the France-Vaud-Geneva region. Ten cross-border cooperation projects are included in this scheme, of which the four main projects deal with economic development around the cross-border centres:

• Centre around Geneva International Airport or the ‘Golden Rectangle’: creation of a cross-border multipurpose axis to the west of the airport.

• Centre around CERN: regeneration of the site of this international body with the opening of a light rail system linking CERN to the city centre.

• Centre in Saint-Julien-Archamps-Bardonnex: creation of a business park and housing area.

• Centre around the intermodal Annemasse Genève Rive-Gauche train station: transformation of the Annemasse train station into a regional transport platform and the creation of an urban and tertiary centre on former railway wasteland.

• Linking up with the centre of Geneva

The objective is to link, by the year 2012, the city centre of Geneva, the international airport at Cointrin and Annemasse station by a cross-border rail line, the CEVA (Cornavin-Eaux-Vives-Annemasse). The project has been passed by the relevant party in Geneva (at a cost of 900 million Swiss francs).
The studies undertaken in France to examine this extension onto French territory indicated that Annemasse could become a major rail hub in the Franco-Vaud-Geneva conurbation. However, the line will actually stop at the border close to Annemasse. The French side will therefore have to take on the task of adapting the line running to the station at Annemasse. This requires significant work (notably the construction of tunnels and cuttings) as well as the movement of freight-handling and unloading activities.
The Swiss project is intending to tie this investment in with the development of a future RER (rapid suburban) rail service alongside Lake Geneva that will run as far as Lausanne.


Territorial authorities concerned:
France	Espagne
• Ain Department • Haute-Savoie Department • Rhône-Alpes Region	• Canton of Geneva • Canton of Vaud


Indivisible urban areas
The France-Vaud-Geneva conurbation extends around Lake Geneva, surrounded by two mountain ranges. These cross-border areas are predominantly urban and difficult to separate. They have however followed very different development models, based on the presence of the border and the particularities of the city of Geneva, an international metropolis. Due to large housing problems on the Swiss side, the adjacent French towns and villages have gradually became ‘satellites’ which has lead to a real economic imbalance within the cross-border basin. The Swiss part therefore accounts for 85% of jobs for only 69% of the population. The flows of workers across the border mostly cross to Switzerland from France (51,000 trips per day to Geneva and more than 4,000 to the Canton of Vaud). In contrast the residential flows head for France from Switzerland. This situation causes problems for the local administrations.
The first steps in cooperation
In order to address the problems linked to the high level of flows of border workers, cross-border cooperation was quickly established. From the end of the 1960s measures for annual financial compensation from Switzerland were put in place. In 1973 a binational cooperation body was set up (for fiscal matters), the Franco-Geneva Regional Committee (CRFG). In 1992 a white paper drawing up a list of challenges to be addressed for the cross-border region and proposing a series of concrete measures was published.
A ‘Development Charter’ for the cross-border conurbation

Number of inhabitants:
A total of around 730,000 of whom 230,000 in France and 500,000 in Switzerland.

The publication in 1997 of the "Charte d'aménagement de l'agglomération transfrontalière franco-valdo-genevoise" (France-Vaud-Geneva Conurbation Development Charter) was the concrete manifestation of this conurbation project. This charter defines a development scheme which aims not only to reconsider the France-Vaud-Geneva area as a coherent unit, but equally to reinforce the key position of the France-Vaud-Geneva region. Ten cross-border cooperation projects are included in this scheme, of which the four main projects deal with economic development around the cross-border centres: • Centre around Geneva International Airport or the ‘Golden Rectangle’: creation of a cross-border multipurpose axis to the west of the airport. • Centre around CERN: regeneration of the site of this international body with the opening of a light rail system linking CERN to the city centre. • Centre in Saint-Julien-Archamps-Bardonnex: creation of a business park and housing area. • Centre around the intermodal Annemasse Genève Rive-Gauche train station: transformation of the Annemasse train station into a regional transport platform and the creation of an urban and tertiary centre on former railway wasteland. • Linking up with the centre of Geneva The objective is to link, by the year 2012, the city centre of Geneva, the international airport at Cointrin and Annemasse station by a cross-border rail line, the CEVA (Cornavin-Eaux-Vives-Annemasse). The project has been passed by the relevant party in Geneva (at a cost of 900 million Swiss francs). The studies undertaken in France to examine this extension onto French territory indicated that Annemasse could become a major rail hub in the Franco-Vaud-Geneva conurbation. However, the line will actually stop at the border close to Annemasse. The French side will therefore have to take on the task of adapting the line running to the station at Annemasse. This requires significant work (notably the construction of tunnels and cuttings) as well as the movement of freight-handling and unloading activities. The Swiss project is intending to tie this investment in with the development of a future RER (rapid suburban) rail service alongside Lake Geneva that will run as far as Lausanne.
Conurbation project and the functioning of administration
A large number of stakeholders and administration on several institutional levels: Cooperation within the France-Vaud-Geneva area comes up against the large number of local and institutional bodies and the complexity of their interrelations which leads to the creation of a certain level of ‘competition’ between the institutions. Internal functioning of the administrative structure: The project initiative relies on political and technical organisation. On a political level: the Office of the Franco-Geneva Regional Committee (CRFG) and the ‘Comité de pilotage du Projet d'agglomération’ (Conurbation Project Steering Committee). On a technical level: a Project Committee, a Project Team and a network of technicians. This project deals with 8 topics (urbanisation, mobility, housing, the economy, education, health, the environment, culture). A decisive step forward: On 5 December 2007 a ‘Charte d’engagement du Projet d’agglomération franco-valdo-genevois’ (Commitment Charter for the France-Vaud-Geneva Conurbation Project) was signed by the partners. It allows the creation of a coordination and administrative level and defines the grand organisational principles of the area on the 2030 horizon. It is organised on three levels: a political vision, a conurbation and strategic planning scheme and an action plan of which the main axes are transport and housing. Website: http://www.projet-agglo.org Photos: CERN Genève, Projet d'agglomération franco-valdo-genevois, projet CEVA


Conurbations