Lyon has made a big effort over the past 10 years to enhance and develop especially new and existing green public spaces within the city and provide greater socio-cultural benefits for the densely-populated adjacent communities. Despite financial constraints the city is one of few to increase budget for open spaces and an extensive and efficient public transport network.

Situation

• The city of Lyon was continuously faced with a well known recurring metropolitan problem, traffic congestion.
• It was concerned this would have a negative impact on the mobility, local economy and environment due to high Co2 emissions affecting the quality of life.
• Outskirts were loosing track, social problems increasing

Objectives

• Strengthen the competitiveness and attraction of the region.
• Boost employment in the steadily-growing economy.
• Build up a city network to improve the public transport, promote cycling and reduce the proportion of private car use.
• Facilitate collaboration between different scales and stakeholders

Assets

• Central location in France and Europe, proximity to Switzerland & Germany.
• Second largest Conurbation in France
• Lyon was granted 800 million euro by the European Investment Bank to fulfill this project.
• Rich architectural and urban heritage
• Scenic location at the confluence of Saone and Rhone.

Strategy

• "Re-building the City on itself"
• strengthening of environmental and infrastructural connections
• articulate clear scales of action: from strategy for the development of the metropolitan area (Masterplan/Schema Directeur) to urban plan ad specific projects for parts of the city.
• Re-integrate a new public transport and road network at a metropolitan scale.
• Provide high quality developments in the city centre for open leisure spaces and public transport, despite current financial constraints.
• Collaboration with national government, individual municipalities, public housing bodies, private sector, inhabitants and designers.
• Partial instruments such as Plan Lumiere, Plan Vert, Plan Bleu etc.

Actions

• In 1992, the concept of The Grand Lyon development is created.
• revitalisation of public space in the historical centre and in suburban housing districts
• enhancement of urban landscape and reinforcing local character through promotion of heritage
• develop poles of urban and economic development at the access points of denser parts of the conurbation along two main lines, Arc des fleuves and Axe est-ouest.
• internal and external restructuring of dwellings and public spaces in socially sensitive areas

Effect

• Lyons has a number of excellent major development projects underway, completed and open for consideration, most notably the conversion of the former industrial site Lyon Confluence
• Following huge investment in the project, Lyon has developed an extensive and efficient public transport network including city trams and a high-speed direct airport link ‘RhôneExpress’, that facilitates easy access to the entire city from every community in Lyon.
• Lyon is firmly established as alternative business location to the expensive an crowded Paris.