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Institutions

The city of Lyon is located in the heart of the Rhône-Alpes, a region blessed with exceptional assets, and is the capital city of the Rhône Département, or administrative district - one of the most populous in France - and of the Greater Lyon Area comprising 55 towns.

French administrative divisions have experienced great stability but, within the limits of this institutional framework, the public authorities are pursuing a trend toward decentralization.

The three levels of administrative territories, the Region, the Département, the Town, have their own jurisdiction defined by law. French administrative territories are characterized by the following: a non-elected judiciary branch, a legally defined geographic sector, and elected bodies (legislative and executive branches).

In addition, the Greater Lyon Urban Community, representing 55 towns, including Lyon, was created in 1966 to meet the specific needs of a major metropolitan area.

The decentralization process is still underway, with four main focal points: greater decentralization of national organizationss, direct local democracy, financial autonomy for local authorities and the status of overseas territories.