Business parks: an overlooked urban object?

The aim of this paper is to explore the extent to which business parks (zones d’activités économiques) are visible in urban development and planning. It examines a paradox: while business parks play an active role in contemporary urbanization, they have been largely neglected by researchers and those involved in urban development and planning. There seem to be three reasons for this: business parks are considered primarily as an economic phenomenon, not an urban one; they are often associated with functionalism, which urban planners have rejected; and the role business parks play in surburbanization tends to be underestimated in comparison to housing. Giving greater prominence to business parks is a major issue for researchers and urban planners. It would pave the way to examining new rationales underpinning urban sprawl, to studying the development of new urban forms, and to exploring ways to manage business zones.