In 2002, 50 hectares of an old train yard were set aside in the Clichy-Batignolles District of Paris for the 2012 Summer Games Olympic Village. Planner aimed for environmental excellence to demonstrate Paris' commitment to shrinking its carbon footprint. When the city failed to win the bid to host, however, the Clichy-Batignolles eco-village was incorporated into Paris' 2007 Climate Plan. That plan set an ambitious goal for net zero carbon dioxide emissions throughout the village.

Thus far, developers have experimented widely with revolutionary technologies to achieve their goals, making the eco-village a research laboratory for future developments. One successful experiment resulted in the vacuum waste collection system that utilizes suction tubes to vacuum waste underneath the village. This system is estimated to reduce emissions related to waste disposal by 42 percent as well as contribute heat and electricity to the village from the burning of non-recyclable waste. Furthermore, high-performance windows and insulation help keep energy use from heating to a minimum, while special solar panels help heat and cool the buildings by collecting and releasing solar heat. When the development is completed, these solar panels will generate about 40 percent of the development's electricity. Clichy-Batignolles resident Mireille Fenwick praises the efforts toward energy efficiency, stating that she has used her heater only a few times in the three years she has lived in the eco-village.

Now as Clichy-Batignolles village nears completion, efforts are shifting from design to management. Although the eco-village produces no carbon dioxide emissions on paper, data from the three years that the residents have inhabited buildings indicates otherwise. In order to reduce gap, the development team is adding digital technology to the unfinished buildings. With it, residents will be able to take more responsibility over their energy use and help to ensure that the village reaches its low-carbon goals.