Réformes de la planification spatiale et gestion « durable » des grandes agglomérations. Les cas de l’Angleterre et de la France

For two decades, sustainable development has become the bottom line of spatial public policies. Its introduction in spatial planning has brought new goals, new ways of developing and promoted new spatial scales. This article comparatively traces these developments, in England and France. Then it analyzes the effects of these reforms: how does the "greening" of planning confront institutional systems that evolve in a long time? The case of France illustrates a strong decentralization of decisions in planning, and the search for coherence and sustainability remains weak. In England, the national guidelines are faithfully transcribed in the plans. It is concluded that local authorities heteronomy is an important element for territorial declination of sustainable development principles.