{"id":22502,"date":"2026-04-02T14:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T12:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8000\/bonnes-pratiques\/nantes-france-from-boatyards-to-creative-district\/"},"modified":"2026-09-12T13:45:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T11:45:00","slug":"nantes-france-from-boatyards-to-creative-district","status":"publish","type":"bonnes-pratiques","link":"https:\/\/aivp.org\/en\/best-practices\/nantes-france-from-boatyards-to-creative-district\/","title":{"rendered":"Nantes (France): From boatyards to creative district"},"content":{"rendered":"

The industrial activity once present in the western part of the “Ile de Nantes”,<\/a> an island located in the centre of the city of Nantes, was mainly devoted to shipbuilding. The last company still operating in the industry, Dubigeon, closed in 1987. It prompted the municipal authority to begin considering what to do with the industrial land left empty and unused, and the district as a whole, which has strong potential thanks to its riverside location in the centre of the city. The first step was to introduce a cultural policy for the site, with a cultural festival organised annually between 1990 and 1995. The strategy was continued in subsequent years, with more cultural events held in new locations. The policy laid the foundations for the creative district now found on the island. The idea was to establish a cluster bringing together businesses from the cultural and creative sectors<\/a>. SAMOA, a semi-public company, was set up in 2003 to develop the “Ile de Nantes” project as a whole. The goal was to build a new metropolitan centre in the heart of the city, giving the Loire a central role in the city, renewing the public spaces network, and creating a mixed city. The project brings together the City of Nantes, the metropolitan authority Nantes Métropole, and the architects, urban planners and landscapers Smets\/Uaps, who managed the project.<\/p>\n

In 2005, SAMOA moved into the “Halles Alstom”, an iconic site dating from the time of the shipbuilding industry, which was revamped by architect Franklin Azzi. In the same year, the public space on the island was reclaimed to create views overlooking the Loire and develop access routes to the river. Initial projects focused on reclassifying the banks and quays of the Loire, from the Quai des Antilles to the Bollardière banks via the Quai François Mitterrand.<\/p>\n

After 2007, several other companies also moved to the area. At first, around fifty companies were active in sectors like architecture, art, design, media, and events. Later on, more companies, particularly those in the media industry, arrived, and new facilities were added. This helped to strengthen and confirm the creative district. The Ecole des Beaux-Arts (Institute of Fine Arts) moved into Halles 4 and 5 in 2017, along with a university department dedicated to digital culture in Halles 6. In 2023, Halls 1 and 2 were transformed into a Creative Factory by the Samoa Economic Development Agency. The facility serves as a space for prototyping and developing ideas and events. Additionally, other locations on the island are also occupied by the creative industry, including the Nantes Higher National Institute of Architecture (2009), the Graphic Arts Centre (2010), La Fabrique (dedicated to contemporary music and emerging arts since 2011), the media campus (2016), the Design Nantes Atlantique school (2022), and the renovated Alstom hall “îlot Bergeron” that includes offices and apartments (2025). Projects are ongoing to make the Ile de Nantes easily accessible: The new Busway Line 8 will enter service by the end of 2027. It will serve the Mangin neighbourhood and connect Boulevard de Doulon to Bouguenais (Ville-au-Denis area), passing the new hospital on the Île de Nantes.<\/p>\n

Additional information<\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.iledenantes.com\/<\/a> <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.iledenantes.com\/le-projet-de-lile\/une-histoire\/<\/a> <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.iledenantes.com\/quartier\/quartier-de-la-creation\/?usages=travailler<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The industrial activity once present in the western part of the “Ile de Nantes”, an island located in the centre of the city of Nantes, was mainly devoted to shipbuilding. The last company still operating in the industry, Dubigeon, closed in 1987. 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