Medium cities in Occitanie

The Court and the Occitanie Regional Audit Chamber conducted a survey of 26 medium-sized towns in Occitania and their public institutions for inter-municipal cooperation (EPCI). These territories, which have 1.8 million inhabitants, or 31 % of the population and 18 % of the region’s jobs, are an essential link in its territorial organisation and the object of important public policies. In these areas, medium-sized cities face specific economic, social and financial difficulties, which are exacerbated by the weaknesses and shortcomings of their intercommunalities. The findings of this survey, which reflect the diversity of national urban dynamics, lead financial jurisdictions to make 10 recommendations to improve the attractiveness of these medium-sized cities, through a comprehensive strategy involving the state and other actors in the region. The findings and recommendations made prior to the health crisis remain relevant in the current context.