Changing France

Proposal: from 101 departments to roughly 60 regions and districts

Here is a draft breakdown — examples, not an exhaustive list.

1. Greater Paris

• Combine the departments of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne into one metropolitan district.
• Give it a special governance structure, like Greater London.

2. Loire Bioregion

• Merge parts of Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire along the Loire River.
• Use Nantes and Tours as dual capitals.
• Build on the area’s ecological and historical coherence.

3. Alpine Region

• Merge Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Isère, and parts of Rhône-Alpes.
• Base the region around the Alps and mountain economies.

4. Southwest Eco-Corridor

• Combine Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, and neighbouring rural departments.
• Focus on agriculture, tourism, and ecological stewardship.

5. Occitanie Coastal Strip

• Merge Hérault, Aude, and Pyrénées-Orientales into a Mediterranean coastal region.

6. Brittany Unified

• Bring all four historic Breton departments into a single Brittany region.

7. Digital Corridor

• Create a high-tech zone joining parts of Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Montpellier.

8. Post-Industrial Belt

• Merge departments in the north-east affected by deindustrialisation, with a focus on regeneration.

Technologies to consider

• GIS mapping tools: create a visual, interactive version using QGIS or online mapping software.
• Transit-time maps: redraw regions based on average drive or train time to a central prefecture, aiming for roughly 45–60 minutes.
• Ecozone overlays: align administrative borders with ecological zones using data from the European Environment Agency.

Prototype: Loire Bioregion

A new administrative region that follows the Loire River, embracing its natural, economic, and cultural significance. It would merge the central parts of Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire into a single bioregional unit.

Included areas

• Maine-et-Loire (Angers, Saumur)
• Loire-Atlantique (Nantes, Ancenis)
• Indre-et-Loire (Tours, Chinon)
• Loir-et-Cher (Blois)
• Vendée (especially northern Loire Valley areas)
• Sarthe (possibly part of a separate Western Gateway zone)

Why this makes sense

• Shared river basin: the Loire is the ecological and cultural spine of the area.
• Similar agriculture: vineyards, fruit, cereals, and livestock are already connected.
• Ecological continuity: the region links Atlantic estuary, wetlands, forests, and floodplains.
• Cultural identity: the Loire’s châteaux, towns, and cuisine create a shared heritage.
• Transport links: strong east-west corridors already connect Nantes, Angers, and Tours.

Governance proposal

• Dual capital model: Nantes as the economic and transport hub; Tours as the historical and cultural hub.
• Subprefectures: Angers, Blois, Saumur, Ancenis, and Chinon.

Transit principle

Replace the old “horse travel radius” principle with a modern standard: every citizen should be able to reach a regional capital in under one hour by train or car.