“The Urban Challenge. Reviving the desire to live in a city”, by Pierre-André de Chalendar (Odile Jacob Publishing)

Once the seductive symbol of sophistication and unlimited possibility, the city has become synonymous in our imagination with sprawl, stress, pollution—even the propagation of disease. How do we reawaken the attraction humanity has so long felt toward these centers of trade, knowledge, and cultural exchange? And what must we do to make the city hospitable to both its inhabitants and the natural environment?

The Urban Challenge

The work of a business leader and world traveler rather than an urbanist, The Urban Challenge is a passionate argument for a redefined city model that favors sustainability and inclusion: a place where man and nature are no longer in conflict, and where the hallmarks of urban life, from mobility to housing, provide us with comfort, well-being, and innovative ways of living better together.

"Reviving the desire to live in a city. “Today, there is no proper choice but to think sustainable from the outset - this will cost a little more at the beginning but, when the life expectation and running costs of a building are properly assessed, the benefits are obvious.” Pierre-André de Chalendar, Chairman and CEO of the Saint-Gobain Group

More information regarding “The Urban Challenge. Reviving the desire to live in a city” by Pierre-André de Chalendar (Published by Odile Jacob Publishing, May 2021).