Public decision-makers naturally find themselves asking many different questions when it comes to sitting their buildings, whether in the context of a new project or as part of a property management strategy. Indeed, many factors – social, economic and operational – come into play. The impact that such buildings have on the quality of the urban fabric and the environment in general is often not insignificant.

In this brochure, Certu proposes 50 key questions for evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the various choices available. These questions are presented in terms of five sustainable development objectives :

• achieving successful urban integration ;
• reducing costs and encouraging savings ;
• preserving social cohesion and cultural identity ;
• protecting and enhancing the environment ;
• guaranteeing the health and safety of the population.

A sixth theme, linked to ease of implementation, is also examined here.

Not all of these questions will be relevant to every situation, as the individual context, the function of the buildings and the priorities of the contracting authority concerned will vary in each case. Above all, therefore, this brochure is intended as an aide-memoire for decision-makers who wish to base their choices on a rational and wide-reaching analysis.