Like a living organism forced to adapt to new conditions, Lyon is now being reshaped by heatwaves. In the city's former industrial neighborhood of Gerland, residents have discovered new spaces known as "îlots de fraîcheur" ("cool islands"), developed by elected officials and urban planners over the past five years. "Here, I find shade, especially in the morning. It's quite well done for spending some time outside," said Arlette (all witnesses cited by first name requested anonymity), 73, seated on a wooden bench beneath the foliage of a walkway that has been greened for the past three years, between Rue Crépet and Rue Pré-Gaudry.

Inside her apartment, the temperature climbed to 29°C on Tuesday, August 12. After an initial spell of intense heat in early July, this week has been placed under a red heatwave alert across the Lyon region, and the retiree cannot imagine staying indoors all the time. "It's getting difficult. It's really nice to be able to go out, at least for part of the day," said Arlette, who has developed the habit of reading in this shaded area, made up of shrubs of various sizes, planted in a long rectangle of earth spotted with ivy in the center of the walkway.

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