"Reconnecting with nature": in the Lyon metropolitan area, calm zones tested

Silence, the sound level meter is listening. A few seconds later, the result comes in. An average of 38.9 decibels is recorded. " Quieter than an office ," compares the specialist from Acoucité, the Lyon metropolitan area's sound environment observatory. Yet, we are indeed in an outdoor space, more precisely at the Lacroix-Laval estate, in Marcy-l'Étoile, in western Lyon.

In urban areas, noise levels generally exceed 60 decibels. This exposure " can lead to sleep disturbances, stress, or illnesses, particularly cardiovascular diseases ," laments Pierre Athanaze, vice-president of the Lyon Metropolitan Area, responsible for the environment. On this 115-hectare area managed by the community, four "quiet zones" were created in the summer of 2024 with street furniture " to allow people to come and recharge their batteries " and " reconnect with nature ," explains Pierre Athanaze.

Hammocks, wooden cocoons, rustic benches... " We need something intimate enough to avoid crowding. It's really compatible with small groups ," continues Anissa Gleize, head of metropolitan parks and gardens. Enough to bring tranquility to a few readers looking for a pleasant space to read, to walkers seeking an oasis of calm, or to yoga practitioners enlivened by the sounds of the vegetation.

The installation locations, which must not be exposed to noise (or as little as possible), were chosen by Acoucité. " We identified the areas below 50 decibels, on average, over the year ," continues its representative. Pierre Athanaze explains: " What is especially interesting is the perception. As with heat, we have the temperature measured and then the perception ."

Three-quarters of the time, these peaceful spaces don't exceed the 40-decibel threshold. " But be careful, it's a calm zone, not a silent zone. Because a completely silent place has the opposite effect: it's going to be stressful. We need to feel what's happening around us ," warns Pierre Athanaze.

These quiet zones are still in the experimental stage today. At the same time, three others are being tested in Parilly Park, in eastern Lyon. There, their multiplication is made more complex by the road traffic surrounding the green spaces, which causes constant background noise.

User experience monitoring will be carried out until the end of October, in order to improve existing spaces (signage, furniture, etc.) and plan the addition of potential new areas.

Pierre Athanaze, Vice-President of the Lyon Metropolis

However, this metropolitan project will be reported to municipalities to serve as an example. " We will learn from it and see if we can generalize it. The municipalities will be able to do it in their own green spaces ," confirms the Green elected official. A budget of 20,000 euros per park is allocated to these installations carried out as part of the Environmental Noise Prevention Plan (PPBE).

The latter is intended to reduce the exposure of Lyon residents to noise pollution. According to the strategic noise maps of the Lyon Metropolitan Area , 8.4% of the area's inhabitants are exposed to pollution exceeding the European threshold. For Pierre Athanaze, the quiet zones project comes in parallel with measures aimed at limiting noise in the city. In urban areas, this is a tougher battle that requires very different resources (financial and technical in particular).

In its April 2025 issue, Lyon Capitale devoted an investigation to noise pollution in the region. This series of articles can be found here: (1/5) Noise: the people of Lyon have their ears full! (2/5) The number of tickets for noise pollution has more than doubled since 2019 (3/5) Noise: two-wheelers hated by the people of Lyon (4/5) The noisiest streets in Lyon (5/5) “In hearing, what is lost is lost forever”