The [national or state-sponsored] Environmental Round Table (le Grenelle de l'environnement) has challenged all urban development projects to consider not only environmental but economic and social imperatives as well in their planning.  The Geosciences Center at Saint-Mandé has taken up this challenge.

The ministry is thus committed to a high profile building project that realizes its desire for both geographic proximity and shared public competencies at the highest level.

The grouping of the three establishments (IGN, Météo-France, SHOM) at the northern end of the site will permit the development at the southern end of both public and student housing, a mult-purpose room, and an activity zone with administrative work areas.

This mixed project refreshes the eastern sector of the city of Saint-Mandé and harmoniously blends scientific activities and residential housing units without sacrificing the area's life-style focus.  The project's overall coherence is guaranteed by the strong partnership of the State and the City of Saint-Mandé.

IGN, Météo-France and SHOM are betting on synergies between geosciences specialists (including geography, geodesy, local data base, climatology, meterology, hydrography, oceanography) to reinforce their individual identities and legitimacies; to develop a collective spirit and reaffirm their public concerns; and to demonstrate their intent to display a wider presence at the national, european, and international level.