Grande Porte des Alpes

Our study of the Grande Porte des Alpes (GPDA), located east of the Lyon metropolitan area, covered 2,500 hectares marked by the coexistence of major infrastructures (Eurexpo, Bron Airport, the Technology Park), alongside industrial, agricultural, and residential activities. Today, this territory is confronted with several forms of obsolescence – climatic, functional, and programmatic – calling for a profound transformation.

Over three years, we worked across multiple scales, from territorial analysis to detailed studies of strategic sites. Three main levers guide our approach. Firstly Climate regulation through soil demineralization, regenerative agriculture, and the creation of climate refuges. Secondly Adaptive planning by reusing and transforming existing buildings and spaces into hybrid and flexible uses. Thirdly Land-use optimization through targeted densification, the creation of Compact Areas (AC), and Natural and Climate Refuge zones (NRC).

Two focus sites illustrate this strategy: Le Parc Technologique, a historically monofunctional 140-hectare site and Le golf de Chassieu, that holds a unique potential to become an accessible and structuring metropolitan park, cooling the territory.