Business districts: role in sustainable development
In terms of exchanges, business districts are a crossroads at several levels: national, local, international. Their economic and strategic importance requires them to be exemplary in terms of sustainable development and environmental protection. Accordingly, drafting a Sustainable Development Agreement is an indispensable step in this process. Along the same lines, their role as a change driver should not be neglected since, if a green innovation is developed in a business district, it will be developed elsewhere. At the same time, as part of economic competition among the various business districts to attract residents, sustainable buildings that optimise energy resources and render the district appealing should be encouraged. Therefore, business districts are faced with a dual challenge, i.e. promoting sustainable development to ensure they to assume their special role while, at the same time, becoming more attractive to investors.
A major margin for improvement
We must optimise the organisation of existing business districts. Accordingly, in La Défense district, all journeys are made on foot or by bicycle. A maximum number of neighbourhood services must be available within districts in order to cut down on journey times and distances.
The Shanghai and Seoul business districts have been designed to remain attractive over the long term and should serve as examples, as they have placed quality of life at the heart of building developments. At La Défense, we could introduce a host of innovations, notably to improve transportation infrastructures or to install wind turbines on the roofs of the district's towers. Business districts have the capability to be pioneers in innovation.
Download the synthesis of the round table.
Speakers
Hamid BEN ELAFDIL
Director of the Regional Investment Centre of Great Casablanca - Read more
Hamid BEN ELAFDIL is an engineer from the Ecole Centale de Paris. From 1996 to 2005, he was a "serial contractor" in various sectors such as education, assets management, financial services and information technologies. In September 2005, he was appointed by King Mohammed VI as Director of the Regional Centre of Investment of Great Casablanca.
Hamid Ben Elafdil is an active member of both the local and national civil society. He is a member of the board of "Illigh", a society aiming at human development field in the south of Morocco, and founder and past national president of (CJD) the Centre of the Young Leaders of Morocco.
Hamid Ben Elafdil is the author of several papers and contribution on economy, entrepreneurship and finance in the Moroccan press and television.
Thierry JACQUILLAT
President, Paris Ile-de-France, Capitale Economique
- Read more
Born in 1938, Thierry Jacquillat spent most of his career with the Pernod-Ricard group that he joined at the age of 25, and where he went on to become Vice-Chairman in 2004. As a driving force behind the merger with the Seagram group, he contributed to transforming the French family company into one of the world's leaders in the wine and spirit business, with a workforce of around 15,000 employees present on all 5 continents.
At the same time, he has been involved with the activities of the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry where, until 2004, he acted as Vice-Chairman responsible for relationships with large corporations. In 2002, he was elected Chairman of the Paris Ile-de -France Capitale Economique organisation, an institution working to highlight the city's economic attractiveness.
Alain MAUGARD
President, Scientific Centre for Building Techniques - Read more
Born in 1943, Alain Maugard, in 1967 was tasked with rationalising budget decisions in the Ministry of Public Works' Economic and International Affairs Department. Between 1972 and 1975, he was in charge of urbanism operations for the Hauts-de-Seine (Greater Paris) region.
He became Head of the Technical Policy Department at the Directorate of Construction and, between 1978 and 1981 he was Permanent Secretary for the Construction Plan. From 1981 to 1984, he acted as Deputy Cabinet Director at the Ministries of Urbanism and Housing. Following a period as Director of Construction at the Ministry of Public Works, he was appointed CEO of the La Défense Development Agency (EPAD) for three years. Since 1993, he has been Chairman of the Building Industry Sciences and Techniques Centre (CSTB). One of the CSTB's missions is to improve wellbeing and safety in buildings and their surrounding environment. The CSTB is active in four complementary domains: research, innovative engineering, quality assessment and knowledge dissemination.
Guillaume POITRINAL
Board Chairman, Unibail Rodamco - Read more
Guillaume Poitrinal was born in 1968 and has spent part of his career working for Morgan Stanley in London, and then in Paris.
He joined UNIBAIL an 1995 in the role of project manager, reporting to the Office of the Chairman. In 1999, he was appointed division CEO and Executive Vice-Chairman. He is currently a director of Unibail, the property management company created in 2002, following the merger between Unibail and Rodamco Europe. Unibail specialises in managing prime location real estate assets in Europe, such as shopping centres and office blocks, as well as congress and exhibition centres.
Pascal ROGER
Director of Developpement, Elyo Suez - Read more
Pascal Roger is Director of Development for Elyo, groupe Suez. He was appointed head of the financial department for Entrepose in 1979. Until 1982, he was vice-president of the group, and in charge of administrative and financial activities for the group's Colombian subsidiary.
In 1985, he was appointed to a similar position with GTM International. Then, from 1988 to 1992, he was managing director of the Sopol company in Portugal. He then became Managing Director for Climespace and Ines.
In 1998, he joined Elyo, the "energies" branch of the Suez group, as head of the Paris region executive office and President of the Norwegian branch of the group.
Since 2000, he has been Senior Vice-president for Suez International Affairs.
Qing YE
Architect, Shenzen Building Institute - Read more
Ms. Ye Qing is the Vice Dean and Executive Chief Architect of Shenzhen General Institute of Architectural Design and Research, Dean of Shenzhen Institute of Building Research, Director of Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Building Energy Efficiency, Director of Shenzhen Energy Efficiency Testing & Evaluation Center and Shenzhen Building Energy Efficiency Testing & Evaluation Center.
During the 14 years of her career, Ms. Ye Qing has been promoting the conception of green building. She has directed more than 20 scientific research projects, worked with her team to accomplish the energy efficiency consultancy which covered almost ten million m².
> 14 February 2008 - 
> Is a global commitment
