In an increasingly metropolitan and “archipelagic” world, the issue of living together has become crucial for our cities and territories. Faced with challenges such as the climate crisis, social inequalities and fragmented governance, it is essential to rethink the way in which urban projects are designed. We believe that co-construction using societal design methods is an inspiring way of moving towards a more shared city.
At the heart of co-construction and design lies the issue of empathy. Understanding the needs, expectations and aspirations of users in all their dimensions is essential if we are to create spaces, services and organisations that encourage people to live together. Designers, town planners and architects must go beyond technical, functional and aesthetic approaches to put themselves in the shoes of users and even involve them in the design process. The aim is to come up with solutions that do not exclude people or are not appropriate for them. There are countless examples of energy technology systems that have been misused. By designing them with the people who will be using them, the ergonomics of the solution will be natural and the climatic impact real.
This focus on use and daily life requires listening methods and design know-how that involve users at every stage, including design through co-creation workshops. We need to move away from the consultation approach, where we first develop the best project and then defend it as best we can. And that doesn't work any more. Design is empathy
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By integrating empathy into the process, the players involved in the city's construction can also unite their energies around a common point: the right response to the expectations of users in all their diversity. In this way, they can encourage people to live together. For example, a public square can be designed taking into account the various activities that will take place there, from children's games to an open-air market. Imagining, co-designing and testing future developments with school children, local residents and shopkeepers ensures that the square is appropriated in a way that is shared by all. What's more, local social links benefit more from the process than from the development itself.
On the other hand, co-construction cannot be achieved without an ecosystem of diverse players. Local authorities, associations, businesses, institutions and residents need to work hand in hand to realise that they are all stakeholders in the same living environment. Each stakeholder brings a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge to the table. By putting the user at the centre, the silos and pre-squares no longer make sense and the common interest emerges. By working together, stakeholders can share their ideas and develop solutions together, which they will be keen to see implemented and cared for.
The concept of ‘taking care’ is of particular importance if we want to encourage the city to live together. Taking care of our fellow citizens and our environment means ensuring that everyone is listened to and respected. This means paying particular attention to the most vulnerable, whether they be the elderly, low-income families or migrants. By proposing projects that respond well to these groups by developing an inclusive city, we are largely responding to the issue of living together. By designing homes and spaces that allow everyone to express themselves and feel welcome, we are building not only places, but also relationships.
Facilitating collective intelligence is another essential lever in the co-construction process. This involves preparing and facilitating moments when the questions put to the collective are relevant and clear, allowing ideas and solutions to emerge in response to local and urban issues. The facilitators play a key role in this dynamic, guiding the discussions and ensuring that every voice is heard.
In conclusion, we believe that co-construction through design is an effective way of moving towards cities where living together makes more sense. By integrating the notions of empathy, a diverse ecosystem of players, commitment, inclusion and collective intelligence, we can sketch out solutions for achieving a little more cohesion. The economic and technological logics at work, leading to the archipelisation of societies and territories, are very powerful. Faced with these fundamental movements and chronic crises, we need to be sincere and human in order to recreate a little common ground.
Shared ambitions for the harmonious development of the uses of the Rhône and Saône riverbanks !
The Métropole de Lyon and Voies Navigables de France present the Riverbank Usage Scheme (SURF). Co-produced with stakeholders (elected officials, associations, economic actors), this document outlines, based on shared major ambitions, the preferred uses for the quays and banks of the Rhône and Saône. It will be central to the renewal in 2024 of the partnership that has united the local authority and the public institution since 1997.
The SURF is an initiative launched by the Métropole de Lyon and Voies Navigables de France (VNF), who chose to co-produce with stakeholders to achieve three major shared ambitions and a plan of 29 operational actions aimed at the harmonious development of the uses of the Rhône and Saône riverbanks.
1- the rivers must remain accessible and visible to all, serving as places for navigation, relaxation, water sports, and swimming. They should also contribute to climate preservation and ecological transition through low-carbon activities, boat sanitation, and electric power stations. The city must not encroach on the rivers.
2- the preservation of natural heritage and the renaturation of spaces include the re-vegetation of riverbanks and the creation of ecological corridors.
3- priority is given to the development of future transportation, including urban river logistics and passenger transport lines.
Based on this framework, the SURF specifies the uses to be developed, prioritized, or reserved on the docks and riverbanks, including freight, tourism, leisure, housing, and mobility. It identifies 29 actions to be undertaken, grouped into 8 themes.
(environmental transition, renaturation, project territories, stationary boats, sports and leisure, urban and river logistics, sightseeing boats, and river shuttles.).
In the heart of the Metropolis, four major city-river interface project sites have been identified: the Saône Gorge on the right bank (notably the reconversion project of Place du Port Mouton, renaturation of unused lower ports), the reconversion of the Port de l’Occident, the revitalization of the Darse de la Confluence, and the enhancement of the urban riverfront of the Docks de la Confluence.
For the Val de Saône, the major challenges identified are the preservation and creation of ecological corridors, as well as the development of transport and leisure activities, particularly in the following areas: Port of Grenay (fluvial logistics hub), Neuville (dedicated or multi-use quay for freight or tourism), Albigny nautical base (rowing and natural swimming pool), and the Albigny Couzon Loop (urban project with redevelopment of the riverfront, marinas, and a quay dedicated to freight).
8 workshops were organized with all active river stakeholders, including associations and professionals, as well as the concerned municipalities. This collective effort allowed for the exchange of visions, listening to and taking into account everyone’s viewpoints. In total, more than 100 stakeholders participated in the eight workshops, including 12 elected officials (Metropolis and municipalities), institutional partners such as the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR), SYTRAL Mobilités, and the Water Agency, in addition to over forty associative and economic stakeholders.
The SURF perimeter covers the public river domain managed by VNF located on the territory of the Metropolis of Lyon, from the Confluence to Quincieux (on the Saône side) and to the Passerelle de la Paix (on the Rhône side). For reasons of coherence, it also includes the part of the Rhône between the Confluence and the Pierre-Bénite dam, a sector managed by CNR.
Le fleuve et son affluent sont des composants majeurs du territoire de la Métropole de Lyon et constituent à la fois des axes de transport, des lieux de loisirs, des écosystèmes naturels et des lieux de vie de nombreuses espèces.
The river and its tributary are major components of the territory of the Metropolis of Lyon, serving as transport routes, leisure areas, natural ecosystems, and habitats for numerous species.
Since 1997, an exemplary and unprecedented partnership has united the Metropolis with the public establishment VNF to coordinate their actions. This collaboration has successfully led to the development of the Docks of the Port Rambaud and the banks of the Saône and Rhône, and supported numerous nautical activities. Innovative services have been developed, including freight transport (implementation of the port scheme for the Lyon region), urban logistics (establishment of a river waste disposal site on the Saône side, which required extensive conceptual studies beforehand), and the support for the growth of river cruises and sightseeing boats (construction of docking facilities).
Today, the focus is on preparing the renewal of the partnership based on priorities aligned with the challenges of ecological and climate transition.
Reclaiming Living Rivers
Our main objective is to enable users to reconnect with their environment, of which rivers are essential elements. This involves reclaiming the water and riverbanks while acknowledging our shared vulnerability to risks and the new, uncontrollable flow regime.
Rivers for climate action
We aim to strengthen the uses that allow for this appropriation while also taking action for the climate...
The waterways will therefore be active and navigated, serving as low-carbon impact transportation routes, and a place of coolness and nature open to all.
A priority: the link with water
The Rhône and Saône rivers must remain accessible and visible.
They are by no means ‘land’ that can be privatised.
Consequently, the installation of new stationary boats
along the riverbanks is limited and conditional
on the ability to create functional or cultural links with the water. We will thus ensure that the city does not encroach on the rivers.
Towards active use
A first swimming basin, a new rowing site, new launching spots for kayaks, or electric boat rentals...
Projects related to sports and leisure should be the tangible manifestation of this new relationship with water and rivers.
Caring for our natural and historical heritage
The Val de Saône and the Rhône upstream of Brétillod are exceptional biodiversity reservoirs and flood expansion areas that must be preserved for the benefit of all. Everywhere, the heritage and landscape qualities of the riverbanks are invaluable. They should be enhanced through specific efforts on the architectural integration of all projects, particularly the interface between boats and quays.
Inhabited and planted riverbanks
In the heart of Lyon, the riverbanks are exceptional living spaces, sometimes extensions of homes, especially those lacking outdoor spaces. In the future, they must play an even greater role in thermal regulation and contribute to quality of life and biodiversity by planting the upper quays and reintroducing more greenery along the banks.
Anticipating renaturation
The objective is not to recreate the former «natural» profile of the rivers, but to gradually establish ecological corridors through projects that combine the protection of existing riparian forests, renaturation projects for the quays (such as the right bank of the Rhône and the Saône gorge), and new structures attached to the banks adapted to different spaces and species.
Urban logistics: a priority
Urban and river logistics have moved beyond the experimental stage and must now transition to a phase of sustained deployment. The pace of this dynamic is uncertain, but it requires preserving existing quays and anticipating the need for spaces and access to facilitate it.
Towards a public river transport system
Comfortable, regular, attractive, and efficient, the benefits of a collective water transport network are confirmed. The program is planned for a first line on the Saône in 2025. The Métropole de Lyon and VNF will implement the study’s recommendations, preserving and modernizing the quays dedicated to accommodating river shuttle stops.
Promenade boats: a sector in need of support
Tour boats lack docking spaces and clearly marked, equipped boarding areas. The arrival of new boats increases the need for dedicated spaces. Therefore, it will be necessary to clarify the use of certain quays, create home ports and clearly marked stops, and improve onshore services, such as establishing a reception and ticketing hub on Quai Saint Antoine.
Mixed port uses on the left bank of the Rhône
Reintroduce uses such as logistics and river mobility, as well as biodiversity spaces on the left bank of the Rhône, which has been developed for walking but has lost its port vocation.
