Space & Culture

Originally named Lugdunum by the Romans, Lyon was founded in 43 BC. It was strategically situated at the confluence of two rivers — the Saone and the Rhone — and today is France’s third biggest city (behind Paris and Marseille) and its second biggest metropolitan area. Most recently Lyon was in the news due to the rioting in its main square — Place Bellecour –the first rioting, of the recent variety, to occur in a French city centre.

Spatially, I would say, Lyon is cozy. Divided by two rivers and bounded by two famous hills — Fourviere and Croix Rousse — Lyon is easily walkable and, unlike Canadian prairie towns of similar size like Edmonton, Lyon has a fully furnished, fast and fancy metro/tram/bus network (that is currently shutting down at 21:00 for safety’s sake).

Public space in Lyon seems more public and less commercial than in North America. Squares like Bellecour (the largest vegetation-less square in Europe) are not plastered with ads, and loiterers and families with small children intermix with little cause for alarm.

An interesting tension, in terms of “access” to public space, exists insofar as, for instance, the distance between one’s desire for a month-long metro pass and actually acquiring one is vast and bureaucratically complex. In order to acquire such a pass one requires proof of address, a passport, and an ID photo (for the card). It strikes me that if one wants a metro pass one ought to be able to just purchase one. The extensive security check (?) seems odd.

Other observations…. Lots of cheese. Traffic is much more “organically” inclined. Pedestrian areas (i.e. no traffic) are well used and delightful. Big box stores are as popular here as back home. Yops (yoghurt drinks) are served in HUGE containers — unlike the weeny Yops back home — while orange juice tends to be dispensed in small containers. The French diet is rather heavy — cheese, bread, butter, custard, eggs, sugar — with little by way of “fiber.” Police drive tiny vehicles (unlike the behemoths back home). Apartments are tiny and lack cupboard space, but are often much more splendid than the frequently drab exteriors of buildings would suggest.

Cars are tiny and are all “hatchbacks” — a style that is loathed in the United States, but embraced in Canada (especially in Quebec). IKEA is universal. Police never seem to be “on the beat,” but are sometimes seen driving around in their little cars. The streets are deserted in the evening when the shops close (except on the “restaurant streets”); one wonders if the closing of shops (i.e. employers) in the early evening contributes in any way to the void inhabited by the rioters?

In sum, a delightful city. Very accessible, very friendly to pedestrians, full of shops, markets, activities and cultural events. However, the density and the obvious tensions between those who are visible minorities and those who aren’t objectify the degree to which the relative tranquility of such a place remains tenuous, the tight bureaucratic controls suggesting that the lid on the pot is held with a firm hand so the contents don’t boil over.

This entry was posted Monday, November 14th, 2005 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.