Fertile Wastelands
Although the cities of Yverdon-les Bains and Sainte-Croix never featured a true ”industrial ruins” like those who found in the more devastated regions of Wallonia and Lorraine, the revalorization of former industrial sites remains a continuous challenge for local authorities. The decline of industry freed up large urban areas. These latter, making space for significant reinvestment and redevelopment efforts. The demolition of industrial sites also represents a politically sensitive issue. A part of the population remains deeply attached to historic factory buildings that once symbolized the region’s prosperity. As a result, redevelopment strategies often emerge from pragmatic decisions based on opportunity. In Yverdon, the former site of Paillard factory houses primarily jobs in services and education, including the HEIG-VD. A part of the site of Sainte-Croix has undergone a dedicated heritage revalorization project. Its oldest building now hosts the Museum of mechanical art (MuMaps), a key cultural asset. Although former production halls are increasingly coveted by real estate developers. Their complex rehabilitation often creates a transitional period that becomes a fertile ground for artistic creation. It is the case for the project “Sports 5”, housed in former warehouses in Yverdon-les-Bains and managed by the collective “Action Culture”.