France: Moderate expectations

Respondents from France were the least likely to indicate that investing in towns and cities should be a priority for the Government. Only 34% believed it should be its priority.

Instead, 82% of respondents indicated that it should be a priority for local authorities, which reflects how towns and cities are managed in France. The Hexagone, unlike the UK, already devolves many functions to regional authorities including economic and social development and regional planning.

French respondents were the least likely to expect their town and city centres to look different in five years’ time. Only 69% agreed with this statement, compared to 87% of those from the UK and 93% of those from the UAE.

Whether or not they believe the ideal town or city centre of the future will be delivered, French respondents indicated similar desires as did respondents from the UK. 85% of respondents seek more open spaces, while 84% also want to find more healthcare facilities.

French respondents were less interested in an increase in retail than respondents from other countries. They were least likely to visit a town or city centre for fashion shopping post-pandemic but were second only to the Netherlands in visiting for a parcel pick-up point or quick delivery service. Online retail has a strong hold on consumers.

As with other countries, a desire for more office space was low down on the list of priorities. More than half (55%) indicated that they would like the amount of office space to decrease. This could reflect how more people are working from home post-pandemic, as in other countries, so visit a town or city for other reasons, as well as office work.

This corresponds with the fact that house prices in rural and coastal France have risen much more rapidly than in city centres. The FNSafer Association, which manages France’s rural property market, said rural house sales in 2020 were up 6.6% in a year. For many people, remote working and online retail are here to stay.