Vaulx-en-Velin

Vaulx-en-Velin (French pronunciation: [vo ɑ̃ v(ə)lɛ̃] ) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, eastern France. It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Lyon, and is located to its northeast, on the river Rhône.

Vaulx-en-Velin
Commune
The Hôtel de Ville
Coat of arms
Location of Vaulx-en-Velin
Vaulx-en-Velin Show map of France Vaulx-en-Velin Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 45°46′36″N 4°55′07″E / 45.7768°N 4.9186°E / 45.7768; 4.9186
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Metropolis	Lyon Metropolis
Arrondissement	Lyon
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Hélène Geoffroy (PS)
Area ^1	20.95 km^2 (8.09 sq mi)
Population  (2022)	52,448
• Density	2,503/km^2 (6,484/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Vaudais, Vaudaise
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	69256 /69120
Elevation	165–193 m (541–633 ft) (avg. 192 m or 630 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

The rivers, including the Rhône, regularly overflowed their banks, leaving behind a swampy area. The first verifiable mention of the village of Vaulx-en-Velin comes from the year 1225. The place was not spared from wars either. In 1628 the plague raged in the village. Many people suffered from malaria - the field name "En Palud" testifies to this. A dike was built between 1863 and 1879 to dry out around 9,000 hectares of land. The Saint Jean Villeurbanne dam, built between 1879 and 1882, protects Vaulx-en-Velin from flooding.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Vaulx-en-Velin, which had traditionally focused on agricultural production (wheat, vegetables, and fodder, later sugar beets), underwent a transformation: Industrialization began in 1925 with the founding of SASE (Soie Artificielle du Sud-Est, artificial silk of the southeast), which specialized in converting cellulose into viscose (artificial silk). Up to 3,000 people worked in the textile industry in Vaulx-en-Velin. When the crisis in the textile industry became apparent in 1980 with the closure of the former SASE factory, the town was hit hard by unemployment. The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1977.

In 1971, the first riots and incidents occurred in a settlement that had been built specifically for Harkis. In September 1979 the first Banlieue suburban youth riots in France broke out in the Cité Olivier-de-Serres in Vaulx-en-Velin.

One third of the population lives below the poverty line.

On 16 December 2022, a large fire broke out in a seven-storey apartment building, killing ten people, including five children, and injuring 14.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 762 —     1800 961 +3.37% 1806 986 +0.43% 1821 1,045 +0.39% 1831 1,125 +0.74% 1836 1,170 +0.79% 1841 1,182 +0.20% 1846 1,233 +0.85% 1851 1,287 +0.86% 1856 1,263 −0.38% 1861 1,340 +1.19% 1866 1,260 −1.22% 1872 1,238 −0.29% 1876 1,245 +0.14% 1881 1,258 +0.21% 1886 1,251 −0.11% 1891 1,270 +0.30% 1896 1,314 +0.68%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 1,251 −0.98% 1906 1,235 −0.26% 1911 1,315 +1.26% 1921 1,588 +1.90% 1926 3,745 +18.72% 1931 8,124 +16.75% 1936 7,386 −1.89% 1946 7,821 +0.57% 1954 9,630 +2.64% 1962 12,118 +2.91% 1968 20,726 +9.36% 1975 37,866 +8.99% 1982 44,160 +2.22% 1990 44,174 +0.00% 1999 39,154 −1.33% 2007 40,626 +0.46% 2012 43,394 +1.33% 2017 49,658 +2.73%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Transport

• Metro line A
• Tram T3
• Several buses lines from Transports en commun lyonnais
• Rhônexpress

Personalities

• Nathalie Arthaud (born 1970), candidate for the 2012 presidential election, was one of the municipal councillors
• Marie-Frédérique Ayissi (born 1982), basketball player
• Junior Sambia (born 1996), footballer
• Khal Torabully (born 1956), writer and director
• Corinne Vigreux (born 1964), business executive and co-founder of TomTom

See also

• Communes of the Metropolis of Lyon