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Located at the heart of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (7.75 M inhabitants), Lyon is the core urban center of the Metropole de Lyon (59 municipalities, 1.3 M inhabitant) and with 500.000 inhabitants in 2013, France’s third city.

In 1998 the UNESCO recognized the "exceptional universal value" of Lyon historic site, an exceptional example of the continuity of an urban installation over more than two millennia”. Lyon’s vision is to use culture and heritage management policies as a lever to develop the city identity and attractiveness. Thus the city of Lyon has created a framework for the development of art and culture. With 20% of its budget, culture is paramount in the overall city policy. L yon cultural and heritage policy aims to enhance life quality with four overarching goals:

1. Support the city development on cultural, artistic and historic heritage matters;
2. Increase its economical and international attractiveness;
3. Foster the democratization of culture;
4. Develop Lyon as a creative city

In December 2013, the elaboration of a heritage management plan gave to the city both an instrument for planning and an integrated heritage policy. In the design and implementation of this plan, the city was able to benefit from experience acquired during the previous half-century when residents, local associations and municipal authorities worked together to safeguard the heritage. This included making an inventory, protecting and restoring monuments, rehabilitating buildings, regenerating districts or public areas and collecting urban memories.

To be sustainable, management plans must associate local residents as closely as possible. Therefore, with its partners – public groups, associations and professionals – the city implemented – through public meetings, exhibitions, events and publications – a participatory approach aiming to encourage inhabitants to make this heritage their own.

Public authorities, experts, civil society, citizens: a multitude of actors are mobilized to ensure the proper management of the historic site of Lyon. Their "toolbox" contains a large number of instruments and means – national or local – that covers the full scope of heritage and urban planning and includes inventories, studies, protection, restoration, promotion and ways to raise awareness.