Abstract
As many other cities with an industrial past, and since the early nineties, Lyon has been actively trying to take back ownership over its rivers. However, the recent development of river-banks and waterfronts is mostly aimed towards the renewal of Lyon’s urban landscape rather than an attempt to solve ecological concerns. Nonetheless, experiments conducted abroad in that field, although on rare occasions, have shown the benefits of the reinstatement of small urban rivers. This paper deals with a study featuring an empirical approach and which has been part of a research program called « Pr[eau]jet Urbain ». The results of that study suggest that, in the case of Ruisseau des Planches, the restoration is some sort of hybrid system which blends the reopening of a stream with the demineralization of its banks. In the case of the Rize, the aim is to recreate the river from scratch. Greater Lyon would be the first city to start such an experimental construction project on an international level.