« Voyages en cité. 1973-1990 : vivre dans les quartiers populaires »

Exploring the urban, human, social and cultural dynamics of the housing estates… that is the aim of this exhibition, which looks back at recent history. Whilst the social and economic crises of the 1970s to 1990s left a deep mark on large housing estates, often in a negative way, we analyse and report on this reality, but also highlight the innovative initiatives and creative utopias that emerged from these neighbourhoods, transforming them into places of resourcefulness, whether in terms of social or cultural practices.

Given the large number of social housing estates in the Lyon metropolitan area, and faced with the impossibility of including them all in our journey, we have selected seven, for their architectural, urban and geographical diversity, but also because of social events, significant milestones… in short, their history. For each of these areas – Les États-Unis (Lyon 8), La Duchère (Lyon 9), Terraillon (Bron), Rillieux-la-Pape, ZUP Grande Île (Vaulx-en-Velin), Les Minguettes (Vénissieux) and Le Tonkin (Villeurbanne) – we highlight a specific issue relating to either urban planning, urban policy, social dynamics or cultural life.