Feature Articles / Dijon Expands Sustainable Development Business Park
Dijon Expands Sustainable Development Business Park - France’s only ISO 14001 EMAS-certified local public organisation is expanding Dijon’s sustainable development business park, ‘Valmy’.

Dijon Expands Sustainable Development Business Park

France’s only ISO 14001 EMAS-certified local public organisation is expanding Dijon’s sustainable development business park, ‘Valmy’.
Dijon EPLAAD

Due to high demand, the EPLAAD, an organisation uniting Dijon’s local public development agencies, is expanding Parc Valmy - a sustainable business park dedicated to services. Only seven years after its construction, Parc Valmy is already in its fourth phase of development with 15 hectares of extra commercial land and an eco-friendly health centre due for completion by 2013.

The park is already is having a positive economic impact, with 800 jobs having been created so far. The economic objectives for the park's expansion include the creation of a further 2500 jobs.

A Business Park Dedicated to the Tertiary Sector

In 2002, EPLAAD came up with the concept for Parc Valmy as a sustainable development dedicated to the tertiary sector, and the first phase of building was completed by 2004. Parc Valmy is one of the first business areas in France to offer land opportunities specifically for the tertiary sector. Situated in the north of Dijon, the park is at the entrance to the city. Several regional and national road networks link the park to France’s major cities, such as Lyon and Paris, and the park is within 10 minutes drive to Dijon city centre.

Following an extremely successful promotion campaign at the 2006 MIPIM exhibition in Cannes, an additional 28 hectares were developed in Parc Valmy over the following four years. Today, Parc Valmy has a total surface area of 60 hectares, and combines offices, commercial and leisure spaces, and residential areas. With demand for space continuing to grow rapidly, EPLAAD are creating an extra 15 hectares of ground for commercial use, as well as building an eco-friendly health centre in the zone.

First-of-a-Kind Eco-Friendly Health Cluster

Burgundy’s first-of-a-kind sustainable development health cluster was conceived by EPLAAD and designed by eco-friendly architecture specialists.  The cluster will make up 7 hectares of Parc Valmy, and is predicted to create over 750 jobs. With a total cost of €100 million, it will have a medical and a chirurgical centre, as well as a retirement home. The entire project is being carried out within strict environmental regulations, following EPLAAD’s commitment to sustainable development.

Commitment to Sustainable Development

Parc Valmy was designed around the central concepts of practicality, attractiveness, working environment and sustainable development. The park is surrounded by green spaces, easing the transition between agricultural land and urbanisation. Parc Valmy’s outdoor areas are lined with trees and plants, and the park’s surrounding areas are practically noise-free. Parking and public transport are only permitted in designated zones, in order to reduce pollution. Cycling lanes cover the land around the park, as well as its internal grounds, and a tram route, due for completion in the autumn of 2012, will connect Parc Valmy to Dijon centre.

France’s Only ISO 14001 EMAS-Certified Local Public Organisation

Parc Valmy is one of a number of successful sustainable development projects designed and developed by EPLAAD. The organisation’s two member agencies (SPLAAD and SEEMAD) are the only local public development agencies in France to have been awarded the world’s environmental management standard, ISO 14001 EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme). This label is granted to organisations that have an efficient environmental management system, within which the organisation is able to control and continually improve the environmental impact of its activities.

Having been granted this label, EPLAAD was put forward as a candidate for the European Commission’s 2010 Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Awards. “The EMAS are the most prestigious awards to be given by the European Commission to private and public European organisations for their environmental management and performance,” stated Thierry Lajoie, EPLAAD’s Managing Director. Within the ‘small public organisations’ category, the European Union chose EPLAAD as one of the most accomplished organisations in Europe for environmental strategy. “We did not bring back an award”, said Lajoie “but we are extremely proud to have been the only French organisation amongst the finalists in our category”.

For more information on investment opportunities in Parc Valmy, please contact Isabelle Pierrey through the Dijon EPLAAD listing.