ABSTRACT
If we look at the data on unemployment in the Lyon metropolitan area, it is easy to notice that the social cohesion issue did not fall within Grand Lyon’s economic strategy. Indeed, the level of unemployment in Lyon is currently very close to the national average (10.2 per cent in 2012, INSEE).3 Therefore, the effects of the crisis on the urban agenda have been very limited. No significant shift in the political debate around competitiveness and social cohesion has occurred in recent years. This is partially due to the fact that the unemployment rate has increased slowly, even if more brutally in some municipalities, historically concentrating marginalized social groups. Grand Lyon’s development strategy has remained primarily concentrated towards companies’ needs (in particular hightech), lacking of an explicit and proactive strategy for fostering and protecting employment, especially in more traditional industries. Therefore, the economic development strategy is mainly framed around increasing competitiveness through the promotion of specific leading industries. To this regard, the national pôles de competitivité policy (clusters) has contributed to the institutionalization of this orientation. Seizing the opportunity, the Grand Lyon has strongly contributed to the creation of clusters, and progressively reoriented its economic action towards the territory’s high added-valued industries. The emphasis on high-tech industries has been progressively articulated, with a pro-active tertiary strategy in urban development, focused on several major urban projects: among others, the Part-Dieu project – the second French business district after La Défense in Paris – is the flagship project of Lyon’s tertiary ambition.
