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MOT mission for the Banque des territoires on land use efficiency: feedback on the Dunkirk workshop!

The workshop brought together twenty French and Flemish players working on issues of economic development, urban planning and cross-border cooperation.

Together, they were able to discuss and share their expertise on the following subjects:

• The dynamics and characteristics of land consumption in the cross-border territory
• The new land-saving frameworks implemented on both sides of the border, and their impact on territorial development
• Cross-border issues and good practice in terms of land efficiency, particularly from the point of view of economic development
• Prospects for enhanced cooperation

At a time when the cross-border territory is experiencing strong economic and industrial dynamism, many issues are shared on both sides of the border to support this development: the availability and optimisation of industrial and economic land, issues of feasability of densification, the difference in land costs (business, housing and agricultural) between the French and Flemish sides, the preservation and enhancement of cross-border ecological continuities and the (re)vitalisation of border villages.

The fruitful discussions enabled cross-border players to gain a better understanding of the way in which land-saving objectives impact their respective development, as well as the actions implemented on both sides to transform planning practices in order to meet them. Above all, they were able to highlight the importance of the issues shared on both sides of the border, as well as the interest of the players in conducting more in-depth cross-border cooperation on strategic issues for the territory, particularly in terms of economic development and adaptation to climate change.

^{Photo: MOT}