Patrice Vergriete has been appointed president of the National Agency for Urban Renewal (Anru), a role crucial for revitalizing disadvantaged neighborhoods. With a strong background in housing and urban planning, Vergriete aims to enhance living conditions and ensure inclusivity in urban development. His leadership comes as Anru prepares for a significant evaluation of its future initiatives. The agency, responsible for major renovation projects, faces challenges regarding community impact and gentrification amid ongoing urban renewal efforts.
Patrice Vergriete Takes the Helm of Anru
On Friday, former Minister of Housing and Transport, Patrice Vergriete, was appointed as the president of the National Agency for Urban Renewal (Anru). This key position, responsible for revitalizing underprivileged neighborhoods, had been unfilled since January 2024, as noted in the Official Journal.
Vergriete, who serves as the mayor of Dunkirk and leads the Dunkirk urban community (CUD), received his appointment as the ‘president of the board of directors of the National Agency for Urban Renewal’ through a decree issued by the President of the Republic on January 29, 2025.
Commitment to Urban Renewal and Community Development
According to a press release from Anru, “Patrice Vergriete possesses extensive knowledge of housing, urban planning, city policy, and urban renewal initiatives.” His dedication to these areas as a local elected official has been highlighted, reinforcing his commitment to improving urban spaces.
“Anru has been transforming the daily lives of millions of French citizens for over two decades. I am honored to contribute to the development of the city of tomorrow, a city that embraces all transitions and ensures that no resident or neighborhood is left behind,” remarked the former minister in the press release.
Having briefly served as the minister delegated to housing under Elisabeth Borne’s administration, Vergriete, 56, later oversaw Transport under Gabriel Attal during the Olympic Games before resuming his role as Dunkirk’s mayor (DVG) in September.
A graduate of the prestigious École Polytechnique and a general engineer specializing in bridges, Vergriete also holds a doctorate in urban planning. His background reflects a story of republican success, coming from a family with humble roots—his father worked as a boilermaker, and his mother was a homemaker.
As mayor, he made headlines with his initiative for free public transport and efforts to reinvigorate the local economy by establishing electric battery manufacturing plants. The presidency of Anru had been vacant since his predecessor, Catherine Vautrin, was appointed to the government in January 2024.
This appointment arrives at a crucial juncture for Anru, with an assessment report on its operations expected in summer 2024, which will outline the agency’s direction for the next two decades of urban renewal efforts.
One representative from Anru explained to AFP in September, “Anru is a temporary agency,” alluding to the impending conclusion of its flagship initiative, the New National Urban Renewal Program (NPNRU).
Established by a decree on February 9, 2004, with the support of former Minister Jean-Louis Borloo, Anru is tasked with managing significant demolition and renovation projects aimed at enhancing living conditions, fostering social diversity, and boosting security in struggling neighborhoods.
In its initial program, the PNRU, which wrapped up in 2021, Anru allocated €11.3 billion, yielding substantial improvements in the most targeted areas. However, the impact was less pronounced in neighborhoods where the interventions were not as intense, as indicated by a report from France Stratégie released in February 2024.
The subsequent program, NPNRU, launched in 2014 with a budget of €12 billion, introduces new environmental considerations and is expected to conclude in 2030. Despite the positive strides, demolition and reconstruction initiatives encounter pushback from local groups, who criticize the operations as overly aggressive, poorly aligned with community needs, and leading to gentrification that displaces lower-income residents.