Lyon, France
"Lyon 2010”, structure plan for the conurbation

Summary

"Lyon 2010, a conurbation project for a European metropolis" which was adopted in 1992, enabled the Lyon conurbation to develop new methods and know-how in terms of urban planning and forecasting which are contributing to a renewal of strategic planning. The new Structure Plan is more a guide for action than a plan giving a fixed vision of the conurbation's future. Its flexibility gives plenty of opportunity for achieving projects and involves partnerships other than the traditional ones (State, local authorities). It is based on two major redevelopment principles: reclaiming the city for itself, and the mix of urban functions; and the principle of wide-ranging consultation. Finally, it is operational because it can be divided into various public policies.

Objectives

To define orientations over a 15-20 year period to give the Lyon conurbation the best development conditions, whether economic, social or environmental. To regionalise all the development stakes and transform them into operational public policies. To develop consultation with all the local authorities in the conurbation and the inhabitants. To rebuild the city upon itself while giving priority to the development of public spaces.

State of the project

The various public policies stemming from the Structure Plan are being implemented: 1992-2000.

Context

The Lyon conurbation (72 local authorities, 1,2 million inhabitants) started the review of its structure plan in 1985. This ended in 1992 with the adoption of a structure plan for the conurbation "Lyon 2010, a conurbation project for a European metropolis". It is a flexible strategic planning document that establishes the broad development trends for 15-20 years in an intermunicipal project with 71 local authorities. It aims to address the challenge of urban expansion (half of the Greater Lyon urbanised area is less than 50 years old), to develop solidarity between all the districts in the conurbation and to give priority to the redevelopment and valorisation of public spaces and natural areas.

Strategy

The main orientations of the Structure Plan were translated into public policies applied to the whole conurbation. An Urban Ecology Charter was adopted in 1992 and reviewed in 1997. It was completed by a Green Framework and a Blue Plan, intended to reclaim the river heritage. The Conurbation Project is also based on a strong neighbourhood social development policy. This led to the adoption of a City Contract signed in 1994 and a Local Housing Programme. Other planning tools were deployed: a University Urban Planning Scheme, a Hospital Urban Planning Scheme, a Commercial Planning Structure Plan, each of these instruments enabled a district and sectoral approach to be combined. Finally, an Urban Travel Plan and an Economic Development Scheme are being prepared.

Activities

It is not easy to summarise all the public policies involved in the scope of the Structure Plan. Three examples have been selected to illustrate the approach used by the conurbation; however, it cannot be reduced to these three operations which have different scopes and natures.
1) The Urban Travel Plan for the Lyon conurbation was prepared and adopted in 1997 by the Transport Syndicate for the Rhône and the Lyon Region after consultation with the local authorities and the State. It focuses on the development of public transport and intermodality, and plans for the creation of 14 tramway lines, two of which should be running in the year 2000; the extension of the metro; the development of rail link to outlying areas; a Structure Plan for cycle ways; a new section of ring-road to keep car traffic away from the city centre; and improved pedestrian routes.
2) The Greater Lyon administration has set up a strong policy for public spaces, an essential element for reclaiming the city for itself. Public spaces were upgraded whatever their function (streets, squares, gardens, vacant lots) and location (central or suburban). The selected method uses three principles: consultation with the population; technical and institutional cross-functionality; and overall coherence of the project. A "Public spaces" group was formed between the urban joint authorities to ensure their strength as clients.
3) The Miribel-Jonage island was the subject of an overall development plan of the area adopted in 1994 as a Charter with objectives approved by the Development Association for the area. As a unique strategic site for the region, it acts as a natural reservoir for flood control, supplies the conurbation with drinking water, and, with its natural and landscape features, is a leisure facility. This plan's priorities are: to preserve the drinking water resource; to restore the flood expansion area upstream from Lyon; to enhance the island's natural heritage and ecological wealth; and to develop outdoor leisure activities. These orientations should translate into a new development scheme for the area based on hydrological, ecological and sociological studies.

Partners

The Greater Lyon Urban Joint Authority is the main client for this policy. Its implementation is being relayed by a whole network of public actors, notably all the member local authorities of the Urban Joint Authority, who have strong departments in the urban planning and economic development fields, and increasingly by actors from the private sector. The Department, the Region and the State are also deeply involved in building up national and regional scale infrastructures, and they are contributing to social policies for the neighbourhoods and to the development of housing towards integration. Consultation with the inhabitants and associations in particular involves Consultative Committees on Urban Planning. Beyond this, specific partners are co-opted for each type of operation.

Outcomes and impact

It is difficult to evaluate the various policies stemming from the Structure Plan as they are numerous and have not yet been completed. It is only possible to quote some of the operations undertaken as examples.

The policy for reclaiming the city for itself has led to the valorisation of historical areas, such as Old Lyon, and to reinforcing traditional living areas such as Villeurbanne, the second biggest town in the conurbation. Within the scope of this policy, urban and industrial wasteland areas have been reclaimed and developed.

The policy for public spaces has enabled more than 40 projects to be carried out since 1989. The projects have powerful cultural and symbolic content (place des Terreaux, in the centre of the conurbation), and are also integrated into the large suburban estates on the periphery to enable the entire population to appropriate the urban space in a comprehensive approach (Mermoz district in Lyon and Darnaise in Vénissieux). The result is a better quality of life, road traffic kept away from living areas, a gradual return to urban sociability, and a confirmation of the core role of the city centre.

Within the scope of the 1994-1998 City Contract, 23 so-called sensitive sites, which combine social and urban handicaps have been subject to an overall approach for socio-economic development, redevelopment and opening up of space. Some 32 other sites are subject to actions that are more particularly targeted on housing, employment, education and economy, and lighter preventative policies. In all, more than half of the HLM [public sector housing] stock (45,000 dwellings) is affected by this policy.

The Blue Plan was the origin for various reclamation operations on the Rhône and Saône embankments: development of the lower ports on the Rhône, landscaping with tree planting on the embankments by the Claude Bernard University and the Cité Internationale, cycle tracks, and the installation of river stops on the Saône bank, etc.

With its Conurbation Project, Lyon won the 1995 European Prize for Urban and Regional Planning, awarded by the European Commission together with the European Town Planning Council (Conseil Européen des Urbanistes).

Obstacles and difficulties

Planning by means of a Structure Plan has limitations when faced with the territorial stakes of globalisation and metropolitanism. The State and the local authorities have reflected further in order to place the conurbation in its metropolitan space, in its region, in Europe and in the world. In this way, it will have a more relevant level of intervention. This extension of the area of action comes in the form of a contribution to various city networks, the harmonisation of Structure Plans, and taking part in developing a Territorial Development Directive (DTA). The Lyon Urban Region (2,5 million inhabitants in a radius of 60 km around Lyon) was created on the scale of the metropolitan area. A Charter of objectives that aims to establish consistent well managed strategic planning for the area has been signed.

One of the difficulties encountered by the Lyon Urban Joint Authority is ensuring cross-functionality between sectoral public policies. Therefore, a commitment to sustainable development and the issue of citizenship is continuously emphasised.

Essential points

The new Structure Plan for the Lyon conurbation contributes to renewed thinking on urban planning. The document is prospective and qualitative rather than pragmatic or quantitative. It focuses on the spaces and conditions of development, particularly on the environment and quality of life, rather than on development itself. It is shared because it gave rise to widespread consultation (over 1000 meetings). Its operational capacity is guaranteed by its division into various public policies.

On the other hand, the thinking and the debates issued from the preparation of the Conurbation Project have made the State and partner local authorities aware of the need to intervene and take action at other levels, especially given the internationalisation and metropolisation phenomena.

Additional information

Contact : François Brégnac
Directeur de l'Agence d'urbanisme de la Communauté Urbaine de Lyon
18, rue du Lac
BP 3129
69402 Lyon Cedex 03

Telephone : 33 04 78 63 43 15
Fax : 33 04 78 63 40 83

Case study prepared from the following works:
- Les villes françaises pour le développement durable. [French cities for sustainable development]. United Nations Conference on human settlements. Habitat II. Cities summit, Istanbul, 3-14 June 1996. Published by the Ministry for the Environment in June 1996. pp. 36-39
- Planification urbaine et développement durable. [Urban planning and sustainable development]. Contribution des agences d'urbanisme [Contribution from town planning agencies]. Habitat II. Cities summit. Istanbul, June 1996. Fédération française des agences d'urbanisme [French federation of town planning agencies]. Volume publié par la Fédération nationale des agences d'urbanisme de l'agglomération marseillaise [ the Marseille Conurbation town planning agencies]. pp. 21-30 and 231-235
- Lyon Métropole. La qualité urbaine au service du développement.[Lyon as a metropolis. Urban quality towards development]

Acknowledgements

The text for this project summary was developed by l'association 4D (Dossiers et débats pour le développement durable), Paris - E-mail:association4d@globenet.org, 1999.