Villeurbanne


Villeurbanne is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in eastern France.
It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest commune in the metropolitan area of Lyon and the 20th most populated in France, and the most populous commune that is neither a prefecture nor a sub-prefecture. In 2013, Villeurbanne was elected the city with the best administration of France, which attracts more and more people.
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History

The current location of downtown Villeurbanne is known to have been inhabited as far back as 6000 BC. Its current name comes from a Gallo-Roman farming area, established at about the same time as Lyon and known as the Villa Urbana. It would then become Urbanum, then Villa Urbane and, ultimately, Villeurbanne.
Villeurbanne has belonged to the kingdom of France since 1349. It was then separated from La Guillotière by the river La Rize, a former branch of the Rhône River.
Until the 19th century, the city was merely a patchwork of distinct villages separated by fields and undeveloped land. These villages have mostly survived, and nowadays form the neighborhoods of Charpennes, Cusset, Croix-Luizet, Maisons-Neuves, etc.
With the industrial era, Villeurbanne's economy soared: the textile industry was the first to bloom, followed by mechanical and chemical ones. The factories lured in numerous immigrants, most notably from Italy.

20th century

Transforming from a rural community to an industrial town, Villeurbanne underwent a tremendous demographic boom in the late 1920s. From 3,000 inhabitants in 1928, its population rocketed to 82,000 in 1931. Mayor Lazare Goujon engaged the city in a vast public works initiative. Arguably the most visible heritage of this program is the, a housing complex made up of two Art Deco towers and annex smaller buildings, lining up along the Avenue Henri Barbusse. These structures built between 1924 and 1934 are the work of architect Môrice Leroux, with a contribution of Tony Garnier. They are one of the most notable Art Deco structures in France and the 19-story twin towers have become an emblem of the city.
The Hôtel de Ville was designed by Robert Giroud, a disciple of Tony Garnier and friend of Môrice Leroux.

21st century

In 2025, the city was faced with a dilapidated building in the city center, which was used for squatting.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

;Public junior high schools:
;Public senior high schools:
Private schools:
  • Institution Scolaire Immaculée Conception is a private school from elementary to high school/sixth-form with three campuses, two elementary and one secondary.
  • École Beth Menahem

Colleges and universities

Many colleges and universities of the Lyon metropolitan area are located in Villeurbanne. Many of these are located on the La Doua campus, home to the Claude Bernard University, a public university, CPE Lyon and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, one of the premier engineering institute in France, very well known for high quality education and for research in France.

Weekend schools

The Association Pour le Developpement de la Langue et de la Culture Japonaises, a part-time Japanese supplementary school, is held in the Maison Berty Albrecht in Villeurbanne. It was formed in 1987.

Transport

Villeurbanne is well served by the Lyon area public transit system, the TCL. The east branch of subway line A runs through the city heart, and the new tramway lines T1 and T4 connects the La Doua campus to the Lyon business and commercial district of La Part-Dieu and the Presqu'île downtown.

Twin towns – sister cities

Villeurbanne is twinned with:
In addition, Villeurbanne has a friendship declaration with:

Demography

In terms of population, Villeurbanne is the second largest city in the Metropolis of Lyon, the fourth largest in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and the 21st largest in France.

Notable people