Lyon “Tranquillité Médiation” Agency (ALTM)

Intervention of the Lyon “Tranquillité Médiation” Agency (ALTM) in the Gabriel Peri square, Lyon, France - © UCLG Learning Team

Intervention of the Lyon “Tranquillité Médiation” Agency (ALTM) in the Gabriel Peri square, Lyon, France - ©UCLG Learning Team

Gabriel Peri Square – Management of a public space to ensure sustainable social integration

Status

ongoing

City

Grand Lyon

Main actors

City Government, Regional Government, Private Sector, Public Utility, other

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Duration

Ongoing since 2015

The City of Lyon has instituted action to secure the public space at Gabriel Peri Square using uniformed mediators to facilitate long-term social cohesion.

Public spaces are places for meeting and co-existence for individuals and groups. Most often city administrations have the responsibility to ensure conciliatory use of these spaces, which belong to the community. Gabriel Péri Square is a public space where intervention by the Lyon city council has been required to ensure a secure and peaceful environment for all citizens. The area where the square is situated is known as a landing place for new arrivals to the city, where shelters for homeless people and asylum seekers are located. It is also the location for a daily informal market run by migrants living in the neighbourhood.

Previous interventions by Lyon council included the removal of furniture for seating or shelter, the installation of surveillance cameras and police operations seizing goods, issuing fines and making arrests did not produce satisfactory results. Subsequently the council decided to adopt a more integrated approach and the security and prevention department initiated a pilot project to place uniformed social mediators in the Square for prevention, mediation and assistance to persons in difficulties. The project aims to ensure the security of the space so that no person or group feels excluded or threatened.

This case study was contributed from the UCLG Learning Team.

Peer-learning note #20 on Social cohesion and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue

For further information about the case study, click here.

Sustainable Development Goals

City information

City

Grand Lyon, France

Size and population development

Lyon is the third largest city, after Paris and Marseilles, in France. In 2017, the city recorded a population of 516,092 within its small municipal territory of 48 km2 with a population density of 11,000 people per km2. The Lyon metropolitan area known as Grand Lyon since 2015, recorded a population of 1,659,001 that same year and is the second largest urban area in the country.

Population composition

The 2017 data showed that the population of Lyon is comprised of 53.1% female and 46.9% male. The 0-17 age group is recorded at 18.1%, 18-64 at 67.1% and 65+ at 14.8%. 90.3% of the population were born in France and 9.7% come from other countries. Source: city population.de

Main functions

The city of Lyon lies at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône rivers and is the capital of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Lyon was founded by Romans in 43BCE and some of the architecture of antiquity survives until this day including aqueducts and amphitheatres. Among many others, these historic sites of Lyon have now been designated UNESCO World Heritage status. Lyon occupies a significant place in cinema history, for it was there that the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière shot Sortie des Usines Lumière à Lyon in 1895. This 46 second documentary is often regarded as history’s first piece of filmmaking. More recently the city has become known for its light festival, the Fête des Lumières, which begins every 8 December and lasts for four days. Lyon is internationally famous for its gastronomic excellence and in January 2019 boasted 20 Michelin-starred restaurants.

Main industries / business

Lyon has a diversified economy and the second highest GDP in France after Paris. High-tech industries (biotechnology, software development, video game, internet services etc.) are growing sectors and other important sectors include medical research and technology, tourism, gastronomy, arts and culture and universities. The city is home to many large companies and is the world headquarters of Interpol.

Political structure

Municipal elections, during which residents vote for city council members, take place every six years and in turn, these city councillors elect the mayor and deputy mayors.

Administrative structure

The Metropolitan Council is the deliberative body of the Lyon Metropolis. It regulates, through its deliberations, the affairs of the Metropolis of Lyon. 150 elected representatives sit on the Lyon Metropolitan Council and represent the 14 constituencies of the territory.

Website

https://www.grandlyon.com/

Background and objectives

Gabriel Péri Square is located at the crossroads of several major automobile routes and is a transport hub for commuters as buses, trams and trains intersect there. For decades, it has been an entry point and meeting place for new arrivals from the left bank of the Rhône, Italy or the nearby Dauphiné area. More recently, migrants from Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries have come together in the Square to sell produce and goods as a form of economic survival. Specific problems related to this informal (and sometimes illegal) economy have arisen and combined with social tensions at the shelters for asylum seekers and homeless people, has led to an atmosphere of insecurity for residents and shopkeepers in the neighbourhood.

Objectives of the pilot project:

Create awareness among people who sell on the Square around the prohibition of this practice and the correct use of public space
Reassure shop keepers, traders and citizens who frequent the space
Ease tensions
Ensure that pedestrians can walk unheeded

Implementation

Lyon City Council is committed to an integrated approach for the management of Gabriel Peri Square. The security and prevention department of the Lyon City Council is coordinating this pilot project under the deputy Mayor delegate to security and peace, together with all stakeholders involved in the project.

In addition to police actions, the city has entrusted mediation work to the “Agence Lyon Tranquillité Médiation (ALTM)”. This agency was set up on the initiative of the Lyon municipality in partnership with the State, the Lyon Metropolis, public bodies that provide social housing (Grand Lyon Habitat, OPAC du Rhône, ALLIADE Habitat, SACVL, Immobilière Rhône-Alpes and Lyon Métropole Habitat), public transport companies (SNCF, KEOLIS Lyon) and public utility companies (ERDF-GRDF, Eau du grand Lyon and La poste).

The project principle is one of shared intervention among the partners and stakeholders. This takes the form of the presence of community social mediators who can be identified by their uniform. Two social mediation professionals are positioned in the Square from Monday to Friday during business hours. Their role is one of prevention, conflict management, guidance on the needs of the population and support and assistance to vulnerable people.

Financing and resources

The project is funded by the three public administrations. The on-going running costs are estimated to require an annual allocation of 100.000€, including human resources, and services.

The Lyon ‘Tranquillité Médiation”’ Agency (ALTM) is supported by financial contributions from various partners (local authorities / social housing companies / transporters / private stakeholders) on the basis of territorial projects. The average cost of human resources for the ALTM is around 40.000€ annual (26€/hour).

Results and impacts

After 3 weeks of the pilot project’s operation, the situation generally returned to normal and the Square became regulated again.

The combined mediation/police approach in a public space has led to a reduction in tensions between individuals, groups, traders and residents.

The local residents and traders have a greater feeling of security, reinforced by the presence of people wearing uniform, and are less hesitant to utilize the square.

The project has created a dialogue about the better use of the public space, which gives all interested parties a role to play in this common area.

Barriers and challenges

The aim is to ‘heal’ the public space in a sustainable manner and best facilitate demands on the ground. In this sense, it is necessary to work on structures and orientation with partners (associative and institutional) and evaluation plan measures (e.g. cohort follow-up).

The social situations found in the Square are complex and the responses to them are difficult and often need to be resolved with emergency services and other professional organisations that provide assistance to vulnerable people.

Lessons learned and transferability

Intervention and management of conflicts in public spaces requires the mobilization of public agencies, stake holders and the community.

Specialized external interventions are necessary to ensure mediation and dialogue between the stakeholders, to the extent that the position of the municipality can be ambiguous in this context, as it simultaneously participates in the social dialogue regardless of its management, decision-making and representation authority, while also being an operator.

References

- UCLG Peer learning note no. 20, Social cohesion and intercultural and inter-religious dialogue 20: https://www.learning.uclg.org/sites/default/files/documents/20_social_cohesion_and_dialogue_lisboa_june2016.pdf

UCLG Learning Team

(learning@uclg.org)