ton of Vaud for the creation of a bypass road in Chavannes. It emerged that traffic on this road was lighter than anticipated. The municipality’s proposal was to abandon this bypass, divide the number of the motorway’s lanes by two (since it is a dead end) and reduce speed to 60 km/h. “This junction was the last straw: Chavannes is not a major source of traffic and has the lowest number of cars in the canton of Vaud,” the mayor explains. Not to mention the noise pollution affecting a large number of neighbourhoods. restaurant, such as a homemade chicken cordon bleu with a light cheese mousse and pickles. This draws in clients from far and wide. The need for a town square The municipality is aware of these needs. On the one hand, it does organise activities for its residents. For example, it runs a one-week summer camp – for 100 Swiss francs – attended by around a hundred children each time. On the other hand, it is also looking for urban planning Chavannes-près- Renens, a municipality covering a relatively small space, is situated in the greater Lausanne region, an area of strong economic growth. Map: Swisstopo Eduardo Camacho-Hübner moved to Chavannes to study, then decided to stay. He is now a member of the town council. Photo: Stéphane Herzog In Chavannes, urban density meets the vast sweep of Lake Geneva – a blue expanse framed by the Alps. Photo: Keystone solutions. Chavannes has invested ten million francs in building a bicycle and pedestrian walkway over the motorway, connecting Place de la Gare with the Les Cèdres neighbourhood. “This ties the north and the south parts of the territory together,” Loubna Laabar explains. The municipality also intends to create a large public square at the foot of its future tower. To do this, it will rely on a system of shared ownership that will allow it to create public squares or play areas whose management ultimately falls to the council. “Chavannes is a unique place where life is good,” concludes the socialist politician, who is originally from Morocco and came to the region in 2008. What is it like to live in the area? Lisa Bonard is the owner of the Café de Chavannes, located in the heart of the former village. She dreams of festive events, new bars, a cinema and a town square. “We build all these big apartment blocks but the population live their lives elsewhere,” she says. In fact, her restaurant acts like a kind of town square. Several populations rub shoulders there: students, teachers and factory workers. The Lausanne native is very active, organising artists’ markets and natural wine-tasting events and serving inventive cuisine in her Swiss Review / February 2026 / No.1 11
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