January 2020

Author:Ruth OwenUIA Expert

The Home Silk Road Project Journal N° 1

Project led by the City of Lyon

HOUSING

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The Home Silk Road Project

The Home Silk Road project will renovate an emblematic building of the silk industry heritage with a central location in a flagship new urban development in the Metropole of Lyon. It aims to provide diverse affordable housing solutions and services for vulnerable groups, while placing them at the heart of the city. As intermediary objective pending the delivery of this renovated building, the construction site will be optimised as a driver for fostering social and economic insertion. Immediate and temporary modular housing for 30 vulnerable families will be set up on the construction site. The site will be a catalyst for a set of social and economic integration activities, such as employment opportunities generated from the worksite, or circular economy activities using the material resources from on-site construction wastes to develop economic and cultural activities. Strong attention will be given to foster onsite cultural activation and bring together residents, neighbours and metropolitan citizens in order to remove the barriers between the various social groups by developing a shared culture and ownership of the new infrastructure.

Partnership :

• Metropole of Lyon

• City of Villeurbanne - urban authority

• East Metropole Housing - public infrastructure and services provider

• Ecumenical Cultural Centre - interest group

• Alynea

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Table of Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

2. PROJECT UPDATE 5

2.1 Meet the partners 5

2.2 In a nutshell 5

2.3 A project in a project in a project (the policy context) 6

2.4 Siteacquisition&temporaryoccupation 6

2.5 Supportingvulnerablepeople 7

2.6 HighQualityModularHousing 8

3. THE 7 CHALLENGES 9

3.1 Leadership 9

3.2 Publicprocurement 10

3.3 Organisationalarrangementswithintheurbanauthority (cross-departmentworking) 12

3.4 Participativeapproachforco-implementation 12

3.5 Monitoringandevaluation 15

3.6 Communicationwithtargetbeneficiariesandusers 16

3.7 Upscaling 16

4. CONCLUSIONS 18

4.1 Sevenlessonslearntsofar 18

4.2 Summary 18

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This first journal provides an update on theimplementation of the Home Silk Road UIAproject,whichisroughlyonethirdcomplete.

Home Silk Roadfocusesonturningabrownfieldsite into an inclusive space in the city throughhousing,cultureandinclusion.Itisaninnovativepartnership between two urban authorities-theMetropole of Lyon and themunicipality ofVilleurbanne;amunicipalhousingcompany–EstMetropole Habitat, and two non-governmentalorganisations- Alynéa and the CentreCulturelŒcuménique.

Themain innovation in theproject is activatinglandandbuildingsfromtheoutsetofacomplexredevelopment process for the purposes ofhousing, culture and social inclusion. The threemain areas of progress so far are: turningaheritage building at the heart of the site intoahub for culture and inclusion; supportingvulnerable people; and developing innovativehousingsolutions.Theprojectispartofbroaderurban renewal processes in the East of theMetropoleofLyon.

The journalexamines7challenges identifiedbyUIA as important for project implementation:leadership, public procurement, organisationalarrangements (cross-department working),participative approach for co-implementation,monitoringandevaluation,communicationwithtargetbeneficiariesandusers,upscaling.

Themostrelevantchallengeforthisprojectistheparticipative approach for co-implementation.Using culture to facilitate participation and co-constructionhasemergedasacriticalingredientforthesuccessfulimplementationoftheproject.Theproject has already achieved alot in termsofputtingvulnerablepeopleattheheartofthecity.However,amajortestofimpactinthenextmonthswillbehowadequatelyandsustainablyvulnerablepeoplecanbehoused.Evaluationandupscaling are likely to be key challenges in thenext phase.

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2. PROJECT UPDATE

2.1 Meet the partners• Métropole de Lyon: TheMetropole of Lyon

coordinates theproject. Located in theeast-centralregionofAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes, it isa large and relatively new urban authoritythat isunique inFrance. Itencompasses thecityofLyonandmostofitssuburbs,coveringapopulationof1,370,678peopleandanareaof 533.68 km2. It has jurisdiction as bothadepartmentandamétropole,havingtakenover many powers from the department ofRhône when it was created in 2015.See www.grandlyon.com

• Alynéa: Alynéa is an NGO that has beensupporting vulnerable people in themetropole of Lyon for forty years. It takesa multi-disciplinary approach coveringaccommodation, training, professionalintegration, medical and psychologicalsupport,cultureandleisure.Partnershipwithother local actors and social innovation arekey elements of their work. It providesa shelter, temporary housing and socialsupport services in the project.See www.alynea.org

• Est-Métropole Habitat:Est-MétropoleHabitatis a social housing company attached to the

MetropoleofLyon.Itworkstobuildaquality,coherentandbalancedcity.Itmanagesmorethan 16,000 homes in the municipalities ofVilleurbanne, Saint-Priest, Vaulx-en-Velin,Bron, Décines, Meyzieu, Mions, Saint-Fons,Vénissieux, Saint-Symphorien-d’Ozon andSérézin-du -Rhône. It is responsible for thebuildingandmanagingthehousingandotherfacilities in the project.See www.est-metropole-habitat.fr

• Centre Culturel �cuménique (CCO): CCO is a social & cultural innovation laboratory. Itpromotesculturalparticipationtore-enforcepeople’s capacity to act, think, dream andtake their place in society. It is leading thecultural dimension of the project.See www.cco-villeurbanne.org

• Ville de Villeurbanne: Villeurbanne isamunicipalitytothenortheastofLyon,withinthemetropolitanarea.Itisthesecondlargestmunicipality in the metropole and the 20thmostpopulatedinFrance.Itisadynamicandgrowing municipality where major urbanrenewal istakingplace.Home Silk Road is in the municipality of Villeurbanne.See www.villeurbanne.fr

2.2 In a nutshellSince its launch 14months ago,Home Silk Road has become a testing ground for building aninclusivecity.Thisjournalwillfocusonthreeofthemain areasofprogress so far: turning aheritage

building at the heart of the site into a hub forculture and inclusion, starting with a temporaryoccupation; supporting vulnerable people; anddevelopinginnovativehousingsolutions.

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2.3 Aprojectinaprojectinaproject(thepolicycontext)To understand how this project is beingimplemented, and the challenges it faces, it isimportanttonotethatHome Silk Road istakingplaceinsideL’Autre Soie,alargerurbanrenewalprojectthatwilltransforma23500m²brownfieldsite into an inclusive neighbourhood. By 2023L’Autre Soiewilldeliver278homesintheformofaffordablehomeownership,communityhousing,Housing First tenancies for formerly homelesspeople, social housing and student housing. Itincludes spaces for culture, social inclusionandthesocialeconomy.L’Autre Soieisinturnpartofa much larger urban transformation projectcalledtheCarré de Soie,coveringavastterritoryin themunicipalitiesofVilleurbanneandVaulx-en-Velin to the East of Lyon. New housing,industryandtransporthubsarebeingdevelopedonbrownfield landaspartof theoverallurbandevelopmentpolicyoftheMetropole.

Figure 1: Home Silk Road, L’Autre Soie and Le Carré de Soie

ThewayHome Silk Road slots into thisbroaderurbanrenewalprocessesispartofwhatmakesitinnovative.Theprojectpartnersandstakeholdersare activating the site from the outset of theredevelopmentprocess.Theyareusingtimeandspacethatisusuallylostforinclusionandculturalactivitieswithlong-termsocialimpact.

2.4 Siteacquisition&temporaryoccupationThestartingpointofHome Silk Roadprojectwastheacquisitionofl’Autre Soiesite,atadiscountof46%,fromtheState.Thiswasquicklyfollowedbythetemporaryoccupationofaniconichistoricalbuilding,theJeanned’ArcResidence.Builtinthe1920sasaresidenceforyoungmigrantwomenworking in the artificial silk industry, it laterserved as a barracks, a hospital, a school, anda teacher training college, before becomingvacantin2013.ProjectpartnersCCOandtheEst-Métropole Habitat (via GIE La Ville Autrement)tookoverthebuilding inNovember2018.Theyare now managing a thriving hub for culture,community activities, inclusion and social

enterprise.Thebuildingcontainsmeetingrooms,a rehearsal room (dance, music, theatre),workspaces,eventspace,andalistedparkof1.8hectares.21non-profitorganisationshavemovedinsincetheprojectstarted.Theyincludemicro-enterprises, community housing organisations,socialenterprisesandsocialNGOs.Theculturalprogramme of the site is playing an importantrole in building bridges and involving currentresidents,neighbours,civilsocietyorganisationsand other stakeholders. The temporaryoccupationwill last24months, afterwhich thesite will be transformed into affordable andsupportedhousing,andcommunityfacilities.

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2.5 SupportingvulnerablepeopleHome Silk Road is about supporting vulnerablepeopleandpromotingtheirplaceinthecity.Thesite includes ahomeless shelter,CHU Alfred de Musset where21familieslive.Alynéatookoverthemanagementoftheshelterinthesummerof2018.Thefamilieshadbeenlivingintemporaryunits, initially in the context of an emergency“winterplan”.AnagreementwassignedwiththeState,whichiscompetentforshelterprovisioninFrance, tomake theplacespermanent.Amoresuitable vacant building was renovated on thesite and is now being used to provideaccommodation.Inalaterphaseoftheproject,the21familieswillmoveintotemporarywoodenmodularhousingunitsinstalledonthesiteduringthe transformation process (see below). After2023, long-term affordable and supportedhousingoptionswillbeinplaceonthesight.

Alynéa provides a tailored support package tothe residents, covering issues suchasaccess to

social rights, employment, education andwellbeingofchildren,French languagesupport,and integration into thecommunity.More than2930hoursofsupportworkwillbeprovidedoverthedurationoftheproject.Sofar,therehasbeenanintensecollaborationbetweenAlynéaandtheCCOtoensurethatresidentsplayanactiveroleinthe temporary occupation and the associatedculturalandcommunitybuildingactivities.

Workandskillsintegrationisakeyelementoftheproject.Alynéaandotherorganisationsactiveonthe site support vulnerablepeople to train andwork. Alynéa is developing a workshop for“adaptiontoworkinglife”whichfocusesonskillsdevelopment,social inclusionandemployabilityforpeopleveryfarfromlabourmarket.Throughtraining and work experience, people developskills in catering, repairs, refurbishment andother areas. Theworkshopwill officially launchwhenanon-siterestaurantopenslaterthisyear.

Temporary Occupation & Historic Building (credit L’Autre Soie)

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However, informal and ad-hoc integrationactivities are already happening. Catering for

project events has been an early success, withresidentsoftheshelterprovidingmeals.

2.6 HighQualityModularHousingHomeSilkRoadwillhouse21familiesinmobile,modularhousingunitsduringthedemolitionandconstruction phase of the project. Additionalmodules containing a social restaurant andcultural spaces will be installed alongside thehousing. The building permit was obtained inDecember 2019. Installation of the modules isplannedtostart inMarchandend in June.ThefamilieswillberelocatedforSeptember2020.

Ultimately, the units will be replaced by morestable forms of housing. A residence social, providing 91 dwellings in supported temporaryhousingwill bepresenton the site.Alynéawillmanage apartments in a Housing Firstprogramme,wherebyformerlyhomelesspeoplearesupportedtoliveinaregulartenancy.Atthat

point, themoduleswill be re-modelled into 40studiosforsinglepeople.Theywillbedeployedelsewhere in the East of Lyon,with the aim ofhelping to optimize land use for emergencyhousinginclusion.

Thespecification for theunits is toproducehighqualitytemporaryhousingsolutions.Thewoodenstructures are prefabricated off-site in a factory.Theyincludeasignificantproportionofbio-basedmaterials.54%ofthemassofthemoduleswillberecyclableor recoverableat theendof their life.Theunitsmeethighenergyperformancestandards.Sofar,theprocessofprocuringanddesigningthemodules, and planning for their installation hasyieldedsomeinterestinglearningpoints.

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3. THE 7 CHALLENGES

This section examines each of the keychallenges that the UIA has identified forprojectimplementation.

3.1 LeadershipLeadershipisnotconsideredasamajorchallengebyHome Silk Roadpartnersatthecurrentstage.Several strengths have emerged in this area,which could provide useful learning points forother urban authorities and future EU supportforinnovationbycities.

The Metropole of Lyon leads the project. It isimportant to note that the Metropole isarelativelynewurbanauthority,createdin2015.It replaced the Communauté Urbaine de Lyon, covering 59municipalities. It is an institutionalinnovation in the French context. When theMetropole was created, it took on thecompetenciesofthedepartmentofRhonewithinits jurisdiction. It covers a large area witha growing population (1.385M inhabitants in2017, 120,000 more than 10 years previously)andadynamiceconomy.Thecreationofalarge,ambitiousurbanauthoritywithnewpowershasrenewedimpetusforleadershipinareassuchashousing and urban development, social andeconomic development, culture and inclusion.ThishasundoubtedlybeenanimportantfactorindevelopingandimplementingHome Silk Road. It is arguably the defining ingredient in theleadershipofthisUIAproject.

TheMetropoleseesitsroleasfacilitation,ratherthan top-down leadership. This has been a keyfactor in thedesignand implementationof theprojectsofar.Forexample,theMetropolecededitspriorityrighttobuythesitefromthestateto

SAS l’Autre Soie, a limited interest companycreatedfortheredevelopmentbyEst Métropole Habitatandotherpartners.

AnimportantinstrumentforfacilitatingprogressonhousingexclusionistheInstance du Protocole de l’ Habitat Spécifique (IPHS), coordinated bytheMetropole.Itbringstogetherallstakeholdersinvolved in supported, temporary and adaptedhousingtosupportpolicymakingandoperationsintheterritory.LocalandStateservices,mayors,the FondationAbbéPierre (amajor foundationactive in the field of housing exclusion andhomelessness),NGOsandotherkeyplayersarerepresented. They jointly examine projects,proposenewsolutions,giveadviceandtechnicalassistance. This is an example of a concreteinstrumentforfacilitativeleadership.

Thereisastrongdegreeofsharedownershipofthe project amongst the partners. All have animportant,albeitunequal,stakeinthelong-termfuture of the site and the community. EstMetropoleHabitatwillownthelandandmuchofthehousing.CCOwillhavetheirheadquartersonthefinishedsiteandmanagethemajorculturalcentre.Alynéawillalsobebasedthereandrunsupportedhousingandotherinclusionactivitiesonthesite.Villeurbanneisthelocalgovernmentadministration. Three-year projects, especiallywith what may be perceived as “one shot”European funding, do not always benefit fromthis levelofsharedcommitmenttoa long-term

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vision. This is an important element of thesuccessfulimplementationoftheprojectsofar.

In the day-to-day running of the project, theleadership style leaves plenty of space forinitiative,“learningbydoing”andsharedproblemsolvingbetweenthepartners.This isevidentatthe coordination meetings. The solutions-focusofthepartnershipwasidentifiedasastrengthbypartnersandstakeholders.

The project currently benefits from the strongsupport of the political leadership of theMetropoleandVilleurbanne.Localelectionswilltakeplacein2020,whichmightchangethis.Thisis thefirsttime that theMetropolitan levelwillhold such elections. A change in regimemightentailsomerisksfortheprojectbutitisdifficulttoanticipatethis.Thestrategyofthepartnersistocontinuetoadvancetheimplementationandto demonstrate positive impact in order toshore up support.

Legend: Mural and Park (Credit Photo DR)

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3.2 Public procurementPublic procurement has not been a significantchallenge for the implementation ofHome Silk Roadsofar.However,someproblems,potentialsolutionsandlearningpointshaveemerged.

3.2.1 Focus on EU Public Procurement Law

EU law sets out minimum harmonised publicprocurement rules, which govern how publicauthorities and certain public utility operatorspurchase goods, works and services. EU PublicProcurement law is transposed into nationallegislationandappliesdirectlytotendersabovea certain value. National rules apply for lowervalue tendersbutmust still respect thegeneralprinciplesofEUlaw.

Oneofthechallengestoemergewhendiscussingpublic procurementwith the partnerswas thattheUIAimplementationrulesobligetenderingincircumstanceswheredirectprovisionorsubsidiescouldhavebeenusedintheFrenchcontext.Thepartnersquestionedwhether thiswas really anefficientapproachforveryspecificservicesthatare not readily available on the market. Forexample,furnitureneedstobepurchasedforthemodular housing. The project partners areinterestedintheuseofsecond-hand,locallyre-purposed furniture. This reflects theircommitmenttothecirculareconomyandtolocalwork integration programmes. Local NGOs,includingAlynéa,areactiveintherepairandre-purposingoffurnitureinthecontextofskillsandemploymentprogrammesforvulnerablepeople.Thereisnorealopenmarketforprovidingsuchgoods. Partners expressed frustration at beingobligedtotenderwhenitwouldbemoreefficientandeffectivetoworkwithanentityspecialisedinre-purposingofoldfurnituretoahighstandard

by people in work integration schemes. Whendiscussing this at a coordination meeting,Villeurbanne was able to suggest the use ofarestrictedprocedureasasolution.Thepartnersare now investigating this,whichmay generateusefullearninggoingforward.

The Metropole has a lot of experience andambition in the use of “integration clauses” intendering procedures. Local authorities, Stateservices, social housing companies, hospices,museumsandotherpublicentitiesarecommittedto a Metropolitan social responsibility strategythat includes the use of these clauses inprocurement procedures. Introducingrequirementstocontributetotheinclusionandemploymentofvulnerablepeoplehelpstocreateaninclusivelocaleconomy.Providersarerequiredto recruit people who are vulnerable on thelabourmarketandtoengageinworkintegrationactivities.Insertionclauseshavebeenextensivelyused in theproject so far,notably to select thecompaniesproducing thehousingmodules andrenovating the heritage building. The Maison Metropolitaine d’Insertion pour l’Emploiprovidesa support and expertise centre for the use ofinsertionclauses.In2018,theMetropoleofLyongenerated 366,2022 hours of integration workhours,equivalentto225fulltimejobs.

3.2.2 Focus on SIAE

Francehasastronglegalandfundingframeworkfor Insertion par l’Activtié Economique - IAE (Integration through economic activity). Thisallowspeoplefurthestfromemployment,duetoparticular social and professional difficulties, tobenefitfromenhancedsupporttofacilitatetheirintegration into work. There were 3,881structures for integration through economicactivity (SIAE) in France in 2017. These

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organisationscantakedifferentforms,includingintegration workshops and integrationenterprises.SIAEssignagreementswiththeStateandarefundedtosupportvulnerablepeopletomakeprogress towardsthe labourmarket.SIAEare importantactors fordelivering socialpublicprocurement. Using SIAE to deliver goods andservices isonewaythat theMetropoledeliverson the integration clauses used in publicprocurement. In theMetropoleofLyon,50%ofthe integration objectives included in calls for

tender are delivered by SIAE. This is a usefulexample for other urban authorities seeking touse procurement to support a resilient andinclusive local economy. Clearly, an appropriatelegal and financial framework at State level isimportanttomakethiswork.

Home Silk Road has also made use of similarenvironmental clauses in the procurementprocedures for the building anddevelopmentwork.

3.3 Organisationalarrangementswithintheurbanauthority(cross-departmentworking)

So far, the partners have not identified cross-department working as a major challenge forproject implementation. However, Home Silk Roadisacomplexandmulti-dimensionalproject,combining housing, sustainability, inclusion andculture in new ways. Cross-departmentalcooperationandcoordinationarethusimportantsuccess factors. With two different publicauthorities in the partnership – Villeurbannemunicipalityand theMetropole, silo-working inadministrationsisapotentialissue.

To generate more engagement from differentdepartmentsandatdifferentlevelsineachofthepartnerorganisations,adedicatedworkshopwillbe organised in April. Staff from all partners,including different departmentswithin the twourbanauthoritieswill participate. Theaim is toprovideamoreroundedvisionoftheprojectandbetterengagethoseworking lessdirectlyon itsimplementation. The next journalwill report indetailonthisworkshopanditseffects.

Differentdepartmentsinbothpublicauthoritiesplay an active role in the coordination of theproject. FromVilleurbanne, thedepartmentsofhousing, socialeconomy, social inclusionareallrepresented at the coordination meeting. This

helps to ensure that different department’sperspectives are included from the outset andcontributes to breaking down silos. This avoidsa lot of the problems associatedwith trying tosecure cross-department buy-in once decisionshave been made at the coordination level. Itallows for collective intelligence and joined-upthinkingintheprojectcoordination.

Project coordination is organised through twomaininstruments:

• Cotech: This coordinationgroupmeetsonceamonthwithatleastonerepresentativefromeach partner. It is composed of peoplewhoare delivering the project day to day. It iscoordinated by the Metropole usinga collaborative approach. The meetings arevery practical and focus on follow up onprojectdeliveryandbudget,problemsolving,communicationsactivities,etc.

• COPIL: This committee is composed ofdirectors and executives from the partners’organizations. It meets once a year and isa more formal piloting body. It focuses onreviewing the outputs and deliverables,decides on any changes to the project andhelpsplantheyearahead.

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3.4 Participativeapproachforco-implementationParticipationand co-implementationare criticalelementsof theHome Silk Road project. This is the challenge that partners consider mostrelevanttotheirwork.

The project partnership is rich and diverse.“Traditional” partners in an urban renewalprojectarepresent:cityauthoritiesVilleurbanneand the Metropole of Lyon; as well as themunicipal housing company Est MetropoleHabitat. But they are joined by “unusualsuspects”: social NGO Alynéa and culturalorganisationCCO.Theseorganisationsbringverydifferentknowledgeandstrengthstotheproject.The first phase of project implementation hasdemonstrated thatmixing culture, housing andinclusion can generate new dynamics andmobilisediversestakeholdersinnewways.Thereare so many synergies and examples of co-implementation in the day-to-day life of theprojectthatitisquitechallengingtocaptureanddescribethem.

Cultureplaysauniqueroleinboostingcommunityengagementandopportunitiesforsynergies.ThepresenceoftheCCOandtheconstantstreamofcultural initiatives at Home Silk Road provide

opportunitiesforresidents,projectpartners,civilsociety organisations, neighbours, localbusinessesandmanyotherstakeholderstomeetand to interact. The dynamics generated arecompletely different to those in moreconventional and top-down communityconsultationandengagementinitiatives.

Activitiesandamenitiesatthesiteincludeapark,a bar, theatre, community gardening, artworkshops, yoga, dance and sculptureresidencies, festivals and much more. This hasturned the temporary occupation into a livingspace that creates new opportunities forparticipationandengagement.Theinformalityofthe space helps overcome barriers. One of theimportant successes cited by partners is thatresidents of the shelter have been able toappropriate the project through culturalactivities, engaging in the workshops andactivitiesindependently,withouttheinvolvementofsocialworkers.Theculturalactivityonthesitehas also generated opportunities for morestructuredcollaborations.Forexample,residentsoftheshelterhaveprovidedcateringforon-site.

Bar & Mural (Credit Collectif Floux Furieux)

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The mixture of different social and culturalorganisations present on the site during thetemporary occupation has generated newinitiatives, synergiesanddynamics.Rather thanbeingan“addon”,theculturaldimensionfeedsintotheprojectimplementationonadailybasis,enabling co-construction. One challenge goingforward will be sustaining this when therenovationwork has started, and in the longertermoncethe3-yearprojectends.

It is important to emphasise that the culturalactivities do not replace other forms ofconsultationandengagement.There isastrongcommitmenttocommunityengagementthrougha range of channels. Several other instrumentsforinformingandinvolvingthecommunityhavebeendeveloped.Apermanentworkshopisactiveonthesitetoinformandinvolvethecommunityin the project. Once a week, the workshop

focuses on an aspect of the project. Aninformationpointhasbeenestablished.Regularpublic meetings with elected representatives,projectpartnersandotherkeyplayershavealsobeen organised. The project partners have alsolinked in with existing structures for localparticipatorydemocracy.Forexample,theconseil du quartier,alegallyenshrinedlocalconsultativecouncil, designed to involve citizens in localdevelopmenthasbeenconsultedontheproject.

Thefutureresidentsofthemodularhousinghavebeen involved in the design process. FollowingthedesignationoftheproviderofthemodulesinOctober,thearchitecturalprojectwaspresentedtotheshelterstaff.InNovember,itwaspresentedto families in thepresenceof thearchitect, theservice provider, Est-Metropole HabitatandAlynéa.

Temporary Shelter Managed by Alynéa CHU (Credit l’Autre Soie)

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3.5 MonitoringandevaluationMonitoringandevaluationhavenotemergedasmajor challenges for this project so far. Theevaluation process has advanced quitesignificantly. Whilst it is still in the first phase,somelearningpointscanalreadybehighlighted.

The aim of the evaluation is to assess theinnovativenatureoftheprojectandparticularlyits replicability. The partners have selected anexternal evaluator that is specialised in publicpolicy evaluation. The approach is to focus onwhat works (or not) and why. The evaluationprocessisdividedintothreephases:

1. Design(end2019–beginning2020)

2. Intermediaryevaluation

a. Datacollection(April–June2020)

b. Analysis and reporting (October –November2020)

3. Finalevaluation(2021/2022)

Thefirstphasehasinvolvedallprojectpartnersinelaboratingtheevaluationquestions,evaluationcriteriaandindicatorsthatwillbeusedtoassessthem.Thistookplaceinaparticipatoryworkshop,which allowed for a range of perspectives andsomecreativeandcriticalthinking.Theaimistouse collective intelligence to focuson themostimportantquestionsatstake inthisprojectandidentify the right criteria and indicators forassessment. The participative approach toevaluation design helps generate iterativelearning.Partnershavebeenencouragedtoplayan active role, rather seeing the evaluation asatick-boxexerciseforconsultants.Thepartnershavecollectivelyidentifiedtheevaluationcriteriaand indicators. It is expected that this willcontributetoricher,moreapplicableresultsfromthe evaluation. The next journal will focus inmoredetailontheintermediaryevaluation.

Sculpture Installation (Credit L’Autre Soie)

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3.6 CommunicationwithtargetbeneficiariesandusersHome Silk Road’s implementation has revealeda lot of overlap between challenge 5 (theparticipatoryapproach)and6(communication).Manyofthepointsmadeaboveabouttheroleofcultureandthevariouschannelsputinplacetoinvolveresidentsandstakeholdersintheprojectarealsorelevanthere.

Overall,communicationwithtargetbeneficiariesand users has emerged as a strength of thisprojectsofar.Thepartnershiphasgonebeyondcommunicating “to” beneficiaries and createdongoingdialogue.Thishasbeenpossiblebecauseofthetimeandspaceavailableforthispurposeonthesiteofthetemporaryoccupation.

Onechallengefortheprojectintheearlymonthswas to communicate aboutHome Silk Road as a distinct project. As noted above, this isa“projectinaprojectinaproject”.ItwasinitiallyachallengetocommunicateitsdistinctidentityinadditiontoL’Autre Soie.Thishasbeenaddressedby re-enforcing coordination and setting upagrouptoboostcommunicationworkbetweenproject partners. For example,Home Silk Road now has a specific section on the website ofL’Autre Soie and the European nature of theprojecthasbeenbroughttothefore.

Thefinalaimoftheprojectistoimprovethelivesof beneficiaries. One of the biggest challenges

goingforwardwillbetoensurethattheinclusionofvulnerablepeoplegoesbeyondthetemporaryoccupationandtheassociatedactivities.Thiswillbeapointofattentionforthefutureeditionsofthis journal. This project has very ambitiousobjectives in relation to the housing and socialinclusionofvulnerablepeople,andtheirplaceinthecityoverthelongterm.Itwillbeimportanttoanalyse whether these have been achieved.TherehasbeensomerecentdebateconcerningotherprojectsinLyonthattrytoaddresshousingexclusion on construction sites. One projectwhere an NGO is housing asylum seekers inshippingcontainersonasitebelongingtoprivatedeveloper has been criticised for the quality ofthe accommodation and the experience ofstigmatization. It will be important to assesswhetherHome Silk Roadisabletodeliverpositiveoutcomesfortheresidents.Theambitionofthepartners is to produce good quality temporaryhousing and support people towards socialinclusion.TheMetropoleofLyoniscommittedtoscalingupHousing First,whichmeansensuringaccess to adequate housing, accompanied bysupport as required, as the main solution tohomelessness.Akeyquestiongoingforwardwillbe whether Home Silk Road contributes tothisobjective.

3.7 UpscalingThis is a very relevant issue for the project.Upscalingisoneofthemostimportantchallengesforseveralreasons.Firstly,Lyonisaboomingcityand land for affordable housing is increasinglyscarce. Replicating Home Silk Road meansaccessing land for the development of housingthat is affordable and accessible for poor andvulnerable populations. The mobilization of

public land for the general interest has beena condition for success for the project.Replicabilitywilldependtolargeextentonlanduse policy, and on sustaining the politicalcommitment to create andmaintain affordablehousinginthecity.

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Fromthedesignphaseoftheproject,scalabilityhasbeenacentralconcernof thepartners.Forexample,theinvestmentinhighqualitymodularunits was planned with a view to redeployingtheminotherareasofthecityaftertheproject.Theproject ispartofabroadercommitmenttohousing vulnerable people in theMetropole ofLyon,acornerstoneofwhichistheimplementationofHousingFirst.Home Silk Roadhasneverbeenanisolatedexperiment.

The institutional andpolicy context for housinghas been an important factor in project designand implementation. Such a project would bechallenging toenvision inacitywithouta largemunicipal housing company like Est MetropoleHabitat, for example. The existing workingrelationshipsbetweensomeofthepartnerswillhelp to support scaling. For example, theGroupement d’Interet General la Ville Autrement isagroupingoflocalhousingandaccommodationproviders:Alynea,FondationAralis,EstMétropoleHabitat (EMH) andRhône SaôneHabitat (RSH).Theyarealreadycommittedtoworkingtogetherin the East of Lyon to deliver solutions foraffordable housing to vulnerable groups. TheInstance du Protocole de l’ Habitat Spécifique (IPHS) mentionedearlierinthejournalisanotherentitythatcanplayacentralroleinscalingupthesolutionsfromthisprojectwithintheMetropole.

Changes in central government policy presentchallenges for scale-up. In 2017, governmentannouncedplans to cut housing benefit and toimpose concurrent reductions in social rents.This is putting major pressure on the Frenchsocialhousingsystem.Changesinmigrationandinclusion policy are also a potential threat.Severalrecentinitiativesbythegovernmentareputting pressure on the legally enshrinedunconditional right to shelter in France. Theremaybenewconditions inaccesstosupport forworkingliferelatedtoadministrativestatus.Thepartnership is monitoring these developmentscloselyandtryingtodevelopstrategiesforscale-upinthischallengingcontext.

The project partners are already reflecting onhowtofundandfinancefutureinitiativesofthistypeintheterritory.Forexample,theMetropoleis actively exploring how European financethroughtheEuropeanInvestmentBankandtheCouncil of Europe Development Bank could beusedtosupportthescale-upofHousingFirst inLyon. Preparatory work is ongoing to developa public-public social impact bond to financeHousingFirstintheMetropole.Fundingthetypeof intense collaboration that has proved socentral to implementing this project so far isachallenge for the future.Funding toassociateculturalandsocialinclusionactivitieswithfutureaffordable housing developments may beabarriertoscaleup.

Entrance L’Autre Soie (Credit Photo DR)

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4. CONCLUSIONS

4.1 Sevenlessonslearntsofar1. Facilitative leadership is a key element for

success in this project.

2. Along-termvisionandstakeintheprojectforallpartnershelpstoensuresharedownership.

3. The biggest challenge for this project goingforwardwillbesustainableaccesstoadequatehousing and social inclusion of vulnerablepeople.

4. Cross-departmental working is a challengebutcanbeproactivelymanagedandimprovedthroughtargetedmeasures.

5. Social inclusion clauses can make publicprocurementaleverforsocialimpact.

6. Culture can play a critical role in inclusion,cocreation and participation in innovativeurbanprojects.

7. Upscalingisalwaysachallengebutthestrongcommitment to housing vulnerable peopleandscalingupHousingFirstinthemetropolewillhelp.Planningforupscalingstartedattheprojectdesignphase.

4.2 SummaryThe Home Silk Roadprojecthasachievedalotin14months. It has become a testing ground forbuildinganinclusivecity.Thethreemainareasofprogress so far have been turning a heritagebuilding at the heart of the site into a hub forculture and inclusion, supporting vulnerablepeople; and developing innovative housingsolutions. The most relevant challenge for thisproject is the participative approach for co-

implementation.Theroleofcultureinfacilitatingparticipation and co-construction has emergedasan important learningpoint.Theprojecthasachieved a lot in terms of putting vulnerablepeopleattheheartofthecity.However,amajortestof itssuccess in thenextmonthswillbe inrelationtohowadequatelyandsustainablytheycan be housed. Evaluation and upscaling arelikelytobekeychallengesinthenextphase.

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ThecontentofthisjournaldoesnotreflecttheofficialopinionoftheUrbanInnovativeActionsInitiative.Responsibilityfortheinformationandviewsexpressedinthejournalliesentirelywiththeauthor.

Urban InnovativeActions (UIA) is an Initiativeof the European Union that provides urbanareasthroughoutEuropewithresourcestotestnewandunprovensolutions toaddressurbanchallenges. Based on article 8 of ERDF, theInitiative has a total ERDF budget of EUR 372millionfor2014-2020.UIA projects will produce a wealth ofknowledgestemmingfromtheimplementationof the innovative solutions for sustainableurbandevelopmentthatareofinterestforcitypractitioners and stakeholders across the EU.ThisjournalisapaperwrittenbyaUIAExpertthat captures and disseminates the lessons learnt from the project implementation andthegoodpractices identified.Thejournalswillbe structured around the main challenges ofimplementation identified and faced at locallevelbyUIAprojects.TheywillbepublishedonaregularbasisontheUIAwebsite.