At the end of World War II, past the neighbourhoods of Les Chartrons and Bacalan, was a vast swampy plain that Jacques Chaban-Delmas, mayor of Bordeaux, undertook to develop.

In the 1960s a lake was dug to raise the land that would be home to important buildings such as the Exhibition Hall and then a large hotel centre.

The inauguration of the Pont d’Aquitaine bridge in 1967 would open the way to peripheral traffic and connect Paris with Spain. Later, large shopping and residential centres would complete the initial arrangement. Large green areas would be planted such as Bois de Bordeaux and the Parc Floral. Sports organizations and a large velodrome would also be created.