Past and Future Real Estate 2026
4th Edition

This session analyzes the root causes of the housing shortage in France and Europe: administrative complexity, high costs, lack of available land, local opposition to projects, slowdown in new construction and insufficient supply of affordable housing.

Developers, local elected officials, economists and urban planners will debate possible solutions: accelerating permits, intelligent densification, reuse of already urbanized land, conversion of offices into housing, mobilization of brownfield sites and new partnerships between communities and private operators.

Energy renovation has become one of the main drivers of transformation in the real estate sector. This roundtable will explore the obligations related to energy performance, the constraints for owners, the needs of tenants, financing mechanisms, and opportunities for value creation.

The objective will be to understand how to transform renovation into a sustainable economic strategy, reconciling environmental performance, profitability, user comfort and protection of vulnerable households.

Access to housing now determines the economic attractiveness of cities and regions. This session will examine the link between housing, employment, mobility, demographics, and territorial competitiveness.

The speakers will analyze the difficulties faced by young professionals, families, students, essential workers, and the middle class in high-demand areas. They will also present models of intermediate housing, hybrid residences, controlled rents, and programs that bring together private developers and public stakeholders.

The construction sector must reduce its environmental impact while maintaining its capacity to produce quickly and cost-effectively. This session will address bio-based materials, reuse, timber construction, low-carbon concrete, the circular economy, prefabrication, and modular construction.

Architects, engineers, manufacturers and developers will discuss how these solutions can become economically viable on a large scale.

Heat waves, floods, droughts, urban heat islands, and pressure on resources are forcing European cities to rethink housing design. This session will focus on climate adaptation of buildings and neighborhoods.

The discussions will cover greening, water management, summer comfort, natural ventilation, suitable materials, risk prevention plans and the transformation of public spaces to create more habitable environments.

Land scarcity is one of the major obstacles to housing production. This panel will analyze new strategies for land mobilization: gentle densification, vertical expansion, redevelopment of commercial areas, brownfield redevelopment, transformation of office buildings, and optimization of public land.

The experts will also study the tension between environmental protection, land conservation objectives and the need to build more.

This session will explore new financing models adapted to affordable housing, energy-efficient renovations, and sustainable construction. Topics covered will include European funds, green loans, sustainable bonds, public-private partnerships, public guarantees, and impact investing models.

The objective will be to identify mechanisms capable of attracting more private capital towards socially useful and environmentally responsible projects.

Digital technologies are transforming the way real estate assets are designed, built, managed, and maintained. This session will present the uses of artificial intelligence, digital twins, data platforms, predictive maintenance, and energy management tools.

The speakers will also discuss the risks related to data protection, algorithmic transparency, and the accessibility of digital tools for public and private actors.