Clairs-Soleils forms, together with la Vaite, a district in the east of Besançon, home to around 5 500 residents, organised into three areas: Chaffanjon, Clairs-Soleils and la Vaite. The heart of the district is made up mostly of tower and slab housing blocks, built in the mid-1960s, while its northern part is largely made up of detached houses, with traditional homes. This dual identity, between large estates and individual housing, marks the district.
Engaged since 2005 in an urban regeneration agreement with the French national agency ANRU, Clairs-Soleils has undergone a deep restructuring, funded by the town, the metropolitan authority, the department, the region and the State. The heart of the district has been transformed around the place des Lumières, redesigned with residents: a shared garden, a supermarket, a parenting centre and the move of the Aimé-Césaire media library have reshaped the area.
An affordable market in the town, Clairs-Soleils is among the accessible areas of Besançon, with a supply made up largely of apartments in shared-ownership blocks and complemented by the houses of its detached-house part. The urban regeneration under way is changing the profile of the district and supports real momentum. The area attracts first-time buyers on a measured budget and investors.
