Strategies for Symbiotic Urban Neighborhoods. Case study in Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland)

The Symbiotic Districts research project examines dimensions influencing energy self-sufficiency at neighborhood scale by integrating parameters related to buildings, infrastructure, mobility, food, goods and services. Transposing industrial ecology tools to urban design, it establishes a reliable basis for addressing the issue of energy in future sustainable urban districts. This contribution presents the results of a case study on an urban sector in the city of Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland). Taking lifestyles as a starting point, the project explores three scenarios (technological, behavioral and symbiotic) for the future development of this neighborhood for 2035. The scenarios test different design strategies related to industrial symbioses, production, storage, transportation or urban agriculture. To calculate an estimated global balance, an energy flow analysis allows the assessment and comparison of the energy performances of each scenario. In parallel, an urban form adapted to the proposed societal vision evaluates how architectural and urban design is likely to promote the necessary changes in behavior towards the expected energy turnaround. The results of the research highlight the necessity of using complementary approaches, which simultaneously combine technology, users behavior and urban symbiosis to reach high-energy performances at neighborhood scale.