Nantes has finished redesigning the square at the centre of Dervallières, a working-class neighbourhood in the west of the city, and will inaugurate it on Saturday 7 November. The 1,300 m² pedestrian square combines new social housing, ground-floor shops and planted public space. It marks a new stage in a renewal programme under way in the neighbourhood since 2016.
What has been built
The project draws on a public consultation carried out between 2017 and 2019. It was designed by a team led by Nantes Métropole Aménagement with Map [Paysagiste] and Ville Ouverte.
- The Josette-Bocq residence, built by social landlord Atlantique Habitations, provides 23 social homes, 8 of them adapted for older people.
- Shops have operated on the ground floor since April 2026.
- Greened public spaces have new street furniture, including tables and benches.
- A space is set aside for the Saturday morning market and for neighbourhood festivities.
- A planted link connects the square to the Daniel-Asseray public services hub, which houses the neighbourhood town hall and the CCAS.
In total, 120 trees have been planted on the square.
The wider project in figures
The square is part of a global project launched by Nantes Métropole with support from the national urban renewal agency ANRU.
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Budget invested | €34.9m |
| ANRU grant | €5.75m |
| Residents | 5,138 |
| Area | 60 hectares |
| Social homes | 2,253 |
Earlier work includes the Renoir playground in 2024 and the thermal renovation of 310 homes in the Grand Watteau, Fragonard, Claude-Lorrain and Georges-de-la-Tour sectors. An urban farm was launched in 2025 on a one-hectare site.
What happens next
The global project is now in its final phase. In 2027, construction of block B on the square will begin and run until 2029; it is to include affordable homes for purchase, premises for associations and a resource centre (ressourcerie). The urban farm will continue to develop nearby, and public spaces in the Lorrain-De la Tour sector are to be delivered. An extension of the local waste drop-off point (écopoint) is planned for spring 2028.
The inauguration starts at 11:30 with the Amfifanfare brass band, followed by speeches from Johanna Rolland, Mayor of Nantes and President of Nantes Métropole, and Dominique Yani, secretary general of the Loire-Atlantique prefecture. At 12:00 the square will be inaugurated with the planting of a tree.