In 2018, the city of Brest launched a unique project in France: “Objectif Couleurs“. This device encourages residents to repaint the facade of their houses with bright colors. This scheme is the result of a grassroots process. Indeed, in the 1990s and 2000s, the local association of the Loucheur neighborhood decided to repaint their facades without official approval. Afterward, the initiative was approved and encouraged by the Brest Metropole through subsidies of up to 30% of the cost of the work. Brest even grants a bonus of 100€ for those who convince their immediate neighbor to do the same!
The only criterion is to choose bright colors in consultation with a colorist architect and the neighbors. According to Anne Petit, the architect in charge of this project: “It’s not just an individual project: we are together making the city a more pleasant place for everyone. The choice of colors depends mainly on the architectural style of the building. 1930s houses lend themselves, for example, perfectly well to bright colors!
“Objective Colors” is a success: in 4 years, 105 facades have been repainted for a total cost is €35,000 per year, but this should double by 2022 due to the high demand.
