ADULM: Strategic Actor to Harmonize Public Policy
Lille's planning agency ADULM maps vacant buildings and coordinates temporary use policies across municipalities, providing data and strategic guidance to align short‑term initiatives with long‑term regeneration.
The Lille Metropole Urban Planning Agency (ADULM) has become a central actor in coordinating temporary use strategies across the metropolitan area. Beyond its traditional planning duties, ADULM conducts territorial mapping of vacant buildings and transitional projects, produces technical studies on temporary use and hosts a collaborative online map where citizens, NGOs and public authorities can visualize ongoing initiatives.
This knowledge‑based approach responds to widespread vacancy caused by deindustrialisation and demographic shifts. By integrating temporary use into master planning and facilitating dialogue between local authorities, private owners, community groups and regional bodies, ADULM ensures that short‑term projects align with long‑term regeneration strategies and legal frameworks.
The agency's work has harmonised policies across municipalities and inspired new initiatives by making data on empty spaces and temporary projects accessible. Its model shows how metropolitan planning agencies can move beyond statutory functions to act as brokers and knowledge hubs; other regions facing vacancy can replicate this by developing open data tools, fostering public debate and embedding temporary uses into planning documents.