What is downtown revitalization?
Downtown revitalization refers to public policies and operational tools that revive commercial cores of towns suffering from vacancy, population decline and service loss. It is built around three levers: housing, local commerce and public services. France's ANCT coordinates national programs alongside Banque des Territoires.
What are the national programs in France?
Two programs dominate: Action Coeur de Ville (244 midsize towns, 5B EUR over 2023-2026) and Petites Villes de Demain (1,646 towns under 20,000 inhabitants, 4B EUR). A third tool, ZRCV tax zones, exempts downtown merchants from local business and property taxes. 1,732 towns are classified ZRCV in 2026.
How does COLHYBRI contribute to revitalization?
COLHYBRI provides the missing layer: a SaaS tool to measure downtown vitality in real time. Maps+ audits every shop Google presence in 48 hours, the community pool drives foot traffic to partner merchants and the municipal dashboard delivers verifiable metrics to the city council. A free 90-day pilot lets a city test the setup on 50 shops before committing.
Revitalization programs at a glance
| Program | Budget and scope |
|---|---|
| Action Coeur de Ville | 244 midsize towns, 5B EUR, 2023-2026 (ANCT) |
| Petites Villes de Demain | 1,646 towns, 4B EUR, 2020-2026 (ANCT) |
| ZRCV 2026 | 1,732 towns, local tax exemption (decree 26 Dec 2025) |