INSTITUT D'AMENAGEMENT ET D'URBANISME DE LA REGION D'ILE DE FRANCE

Their core work

IAU île-de-France is the regional planning and urban development institute for the Paris/Île-de-France region, one of Europe's largest metropolitan areas. They provide spatial analysis, policy research, and strategic planning on topics including urban mobility, waste management, circular economy, and green infrastructure. In EU research projects, they contribute real-world urban data, planning expertise, and policy analysis drawn from managing development challenges across a metropolitan region of 12 million people. Their work bridges academic research and practical urban policy implementation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015-2018) concentrated on hard urban infrastructure challenges: waste-to-energy conversion, transport congestion, and circular economy strategies. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted toward nature-based solutions and urban greening, reflected in the REGREEN project which runs through 2024. This evolution mirrors the broader European policy shift from engineering-led urban solutions toward ecosystem-based approaches to climate adaptation.

Moving toward green infrastructure and ecosystem services for climate-resilient cities, making them a strong partner for urban adaptation and nature-based solution projects.

How they like to work

IAU île-de-France operates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as a regional knowledge provider rather than a research-driving institution. With 87 unique partners across 22 countries from just 5 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia and rarely repeat partnerships. This broad network suggests they are valued as a data-rich case study partner representing one of Europe's largest metropolitan regions.

Remarkably broad network for their project count: 87 unique partners across 22 countries, averaging 17+ partners per consortium. Their reach spans most of the EU, with no apparent geographic concentration beyond their Paris base.

What sets them apart

Their distinctive value lies in being the official planning institute for the Paris/Île-de-France region — one of Europe's largest and most complex metropolitan areas. Unlike university research groups, they bring operational planning data and direct policy connections. For any project needing a major European city as a living lab or case study, IAU offers both the analytical capacity and the institutional access that few partners can match.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REGREEN
  Their most recent and longest project (2019-2024), marking a strategic pivot to nature-based solutions with an EU-China comparative dimension.
• CREATE
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 241,000), focused on transport congestion — directly relevant to their core mandate as the Île-de-France planning body.
• Bin2Grid
  Unusual cross-sector project linking food waste with local energy supply through biomethane filling stations, combining environment and energy themes.