On September 17, 2026, the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Housing announced the 12 winners of the “Bien Lotis!” program. Among them were students from the triple-degree program in Architecture, Urban Planning, and Political Studies (AUEP) offered by the Grenoble National School of Architecture (ENSAG - UGA), Sciences Po Grenoble - UGA, and the Institute of Urban Planning and Alpine Geography (IUGA). Together with the faculty, they will lead the project for the Charlaix neighborhood in Meylan.
The program offers insights, tools, and methods to transform and improve the living environment of existing suburban neighborhoods.
The “Bien Lotis!” Program
Based on twelve pilot projects led by local governments, this program offers insights, tools, and methods to transform and improve the living environment of existing suburban neighborhoods, whether they are located in urban, near-city, suburban, or rural areas.
The goal is to balance quality of life, adaptation to climate change, efficient land use, and changing lifestyles, while taking into account the realities and needs of residents.
The “Bien Lotis!” program, launched by the General Directorate for Urban Planning, Housing, and Nature (DGALN), is part of the national roadmap for suburban neighborhood transformation. It aims to develop concrete and replicable solutions to support the evolution of these neighborhoods.
Learn more about the "Bien lotis!" program
The Charlaix Neighborhood Project
The Charlaix neighborhood in Meylan (638 housing units) consists of subdivisions of single-family homes; it is exposed to natural hazards (landslides, flash floods, and flood risk) and is made more vulnerable by uncontrolled land subdivision. The local government wishes to work with residents on preserving biodiversity, adopting a coordinated approach to densification, and enhancing the site’s resilience to climate-related risks.
The project team consists of: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, the Grenoble Region Urban Planning Agency, the Chartreuse Regional Nature Park, the Charlaix Maupertuis Residents’ Association, and the Grenoble National School of Architecture, UGA, through the participation of students in the AUEP master’s program and their academic advisors, Marine Beuerle, Edith Chezel, Théo Marchal, and Nicolas Tixier.
Its areas of focus will center on issues related to adaptation, risks, biodiversity, citizen participation, and the living environment.
A Closer Look at the AUEP Master's Program
As part of the Master's program in Urban Planning and Development, the
Architecture, Urban Planning, and Political Science Track is a program jointly offered by three institutions of theUniversité Grenoble Alpes : the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Grenoble, the Institut d’Urbanisme et de Géographie Alpine, and Sciences Po Grenoble. This program provides students with a combined education in architecture, urban planning, and political science.
The program takes an interdisciplinary approach that addresses ecological, social, and institutional issues. It has both a practical and a scientific focus and is closely aligned with the fields of architecture, urban planning, regional development, and their transformations. Over the course of six years of study (four years for the bachelor’s degree and two years for the master’s degree), the program leads to three degrees and opens the door to a wide variety of careers in public policy and regional development.
As part of this project, the selected students will work on the Charlaix neighborhood during the 2026–2027 academic year.
