Lyon: Carré de Soie

.Carré de Soie, or Silk Square, is Lyon’s second most important urban project and a major gateway to the city’s future development. Rising between Villeurbanne and Vaulx-en-Velin on the historic grounds of former silk factories, the district reconnects with Lyon’s centuries-old textile heritage that originated from Florentine techniques in the 15th century. The area’s transformation began with a major multimodal transport hub in 2010 that brought together metro lines, tramways, regional links, and an airport connection, alongside one of the region’s most frequented commercial centers. With 60,000 m2 of retail space, two multiplex cinemas, growing office districts employing over 14,000 people, and a rapidly expanding residential community of 16,000 inhabitants, the project illustrates Lyon’s commitment to sustainable, integrated metropolitan planning. The guide, former chief planner of the New City Center of Vaulx-en-Velin and recipient of France’s highest urban planning distinction, provides expert understanding of the context and evolution of this ambitious development.