ABSTRACT
Urbanization of the fringe is unquestionably the most striking aspect of the postwar transformation of French cities. The new developments, both residential and non-residential, tend to be prodigal in their use of space and have extended greatly the built-up area of French cities. Designation of a secteur sauvegarde in a small town has released a source of funds for a programme of conservation that would otherwise have been beyond the capacity of the local authority concerned. A secteur sauvegarde is designated after consultation between the ministries concerned and the local authorities and a plan for its preservation and restoration is then drawn up by an architect appointed by the mayor on the recommendation of the Commission Nationale des Secteurs Sauvegardes. The Fonds d'Amenagement Urbain (FAU) was set up to coordinate the activities of ministries and departments already engaged in the work of restoration and urban renewal.
