The Local Town Planning Scheme (formerly the Land Occupancy Plan or POS) organises the development of a municipality by laying down town planning rules: building zones, land use coefficients, architectural requirements, etc.
The Local Town Planning Scheme (Plan Local d'Urbanisme or PLU) was introduced by the Urban Solidarity and Renewal Act (Loi relative à la Solidarité et au Renouvellement Urbains or SRU Act) of 13 December 2000. It replaces the Plan d'Occupation des Sols (POS). It is the most important urban planning document.
The POS, which the PLU are gradually replacing, were introduced in 1967. Although they are regularly revised by local authorities, the POS no longer meet the same requirements as they did 35 years ago. Post-war urban policies had to deal with the demographic explosion in towns and cities. The priority was to guarantee a roof over one's head in decent conditions and to encourage urban expansion without worrying too much about the environment or the social mix.
The PLU organises the development of a municipality by laying down town planning rules for all or part of the area, taking into account new environmental requirements. It should be noted that communes may continue to make do with a simple carte communale (local planning map), which incorporates the national planning rules (RNU).
More ambitious than the POS, the PLU is a document that expresses a genuine town plan. It defines the town's overall development plan with a view to sustainable development.
Its aim is to strike a balance between urban development and the preservation of natural areas with a view to sustainable development, and to take account of new concerns: urban renewal, housing and social mix, diversity of urban functions, transport and travel.
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