The Métropole européenne de Lille (MEL) adopted a framework deliberation at its metropolitan council of 9 October 2026, setting three strategic orientations for the 2026-2032 mandate. The orientations will steer metropolitan action for the next six years and lay the foundations of a future territorial project. They respond to challenges linked to social and territorial inequalities, economic change, mobility and climate change.

What the three orientations cover

The first orientation aims to strengthen productive sovereignty and jobs by supporting industrial, craft and agricultural activities. It includes anticipating the land needs of businesses, supporting more resilient agriculture and strengthening economic cooperation with neighbouring territories.

The second aims at quality of life for everyone at every stage of life, given an ageing population, smaller households and growing precarity. It includes housing adapted to different life paths, access to local services, effective alternatives to the private car and better reuse of existing buildings.

The third makes environmental transitions and resource restraint drivers of development. It covers water protection, nature in the city, the fight against urban heat islands, adaptation to flood risks, urban renewal to limit sprawl, and energy sovereignty to help control costs for residents and businesses.

What the diagnosis shows

The deliberation draws on the territorial diagnosis carried out for the revision of the territorial coherence scheme (SCoT). The MEL has 1.2 million inhabitants, 95 municipalities and nearly 600,000 jobs. Nearly half of its territory consists of natural, agricultural and forest areas, and it is the most agricultural metropolis in France.

The diagnosis also lists weaknesses. The median income is lower than in many other metropolises, and nearly one resident in five lives below the poverty line. The employment rate is below the national average and unemployment remains high, while industrial and productive jobs have fallen sharply. The car remains dominant in daily trips, especially between home and work.

How the work will be organised

The MEL says the approach will rest on three principles:

  • a strategic coordination committee for planning policies, to keep projects, planning documents and major operations consistent;
  • closer dialogue with mayors and local authorities;
  • involving residents and users as early as possible in projects.

MEL President Eric Skyronka described it as a territorial project that gives a clear direction for the next six years.