International audience This paper aims to synthesize part of the empirical results from 11 case studies of French cities investigated within the two years of the REPLACIS project. French inner cities remain generally resilient (lively, attractive and popular), combining housing and residents, economic and employment hubs, entertainment, tourism and retailing. However, in some cases and in some sectors (waterfronts, neighbourhoods awaiting urban renewal, industrial sites, etc.) and on some scales, resilience is imperfect and lacking. The aim of this paper is, firstly, to introduce the factors resulting in urban and economic crises (in the long term) within the old French city centers (Part 1), then analyze the means of action often leading to an ambivalent requalification of these intra-urban areas (Part 2). Finally, the factors blocking or slowing down resilience as seen in city centres will be particularly highlighted in their internal and external urban relationship to commercial activities (Part 3).