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.

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.

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%
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Transport

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

Personalities

• Mohamed Aggoun (born 2002), footballer
• 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