L' "Attitude arturbain"

Created 20 years ago in 1984, one year after the death of the great French town planner Robert Auzelle, the Robert Auzelle Seminar is involved in promoting the "art urbain" (civic design).

Association registered under the French Law of 1901, it is today a registered charity; its teaching vocation relates both to initial training and continuing education of the built environment professionals. Architects, civil engineers, artists, geographers, town planners, landscape designers, construction economists;... and also, area developers, property developers and builders, assistants and project managers for public or private clients are mainly concerned.

They are all intellectual services providers in the field of the built environment, and their profession is recognized for their acquired knowledge and their know-how. Their joint responsibility is engaged by the acts which they prescribe to create or transform our environment. Citizen and elected official are also concerned for other reasons.

What is "art urbain"?
What does it represent for the stakeholders in project management with respect to the building owners and citizens of a country?
The definition given by the Robert Auzelle Seminar involves a particular meaning referring to the principles of the environmental ethics: "Ensemble of multidisciplinary steps leading to the creation or the transformation of urban neighbourhoods with a concern for an evaluation of the architectural quality, the social life and the respect of the environment".
This definition characterizes the "attitude arturbain " of the members of the Robert Auzelle Seminar; it implies their personal engagement, in their professional life, on ethical values of the environment

In 2002, we showed, in the "Robert Auzelle and the Seminar" exhibition, how Robert Auzelle's work had inspired the teaching activities of the Seminar. Then in 2003 we have shown, in an evocation in memory of Robert Auzelle, referring to works and writings of the great town planner that the principles of his teaching enlighten our time.
In 2004, the third volet presents in its globality and universality the teaching for the Promotion of "art urbain". What is this? It rests on three criteria:
- the "art urbain" vocabulary which enables everybody to communicate better in a common language;
- the international "art urbain" contest which invites students and teachers to a reflection on the ethics of the environment giving a meaning to the project;
- the arturbain.fr price which recognizes the exemplarity of operations carried out by professionals to keep his memory.

These three lessons combine, on the arturbain.fr Internet site, to promote " the attitude arturbain " among the widest possible public.
The world consultation of this site is increasing, because the use of the new Information and Communication Technologies makes today this teaching accessible to all.

What does the " attitude arturbain" mean? admittedly the definition of the "art urbain" by the Robert Auzelle Seminar constitutes for all a universal reference mark for rallying and thinking; for the professionals of the environment, the arturbain attitude will be a behavior based on five principles:

1 / Learning how to look at, and to fight against the indifference with which urban spaces are overlooked although they are made banal and too often submitted to dominant occupant abuses: vehicles, publicity, density, gigantism or even misery; while avoiding shutting the eyes so that the glance be a tool for reading and analysing urban spaces.

2 / Learning the "art urbain" vocabulary which stimulates the creators' curiosity on the evolution of uses, forms and urban decors in the history of urban space in our country and other countries; and arousing the citizen interest on the exemplary references of the passed and the present, which found the future of these terms.

3 / Learning how to cultivate the memory of the place so that any urban project respects a continuity and a knowledge of the site; but also to keeping in mind exemplary operations to enhance their social and environmental architectural references.

4 / Learning how to communicate to allow local serene democratic debates to emerge where all ignorant (the term is not pejorative) citizens could be informed by independent environment professionals; professionals who would know and control the tools for evaluation and visual representation. While political power would preserve its place and play his role concerning his responsibility for decision making.

5 / Learning how to work in multi-field team with clients and designers who share the rules of professional conduct and the rational criteria of quality evaluation. One of these rules would consist in being able to discuss in a collegial manner and freely the questions of environmental ethics.

Robert Auzelle's motto " Always Learning " enlightens the philosophy of this teaching which is common to students, teachers and professionals.

Robert-Max ANTONI, 24th May 2004