Villeurbanne

Villeurbanne
Villeurbanne is located in France
Villeurbanne
Administration
Country France
Region Rhône-Alpes
Department Rhône
Arrondissement Lyon
Canton Villeurbanne-Centre, Villeurbanne-Nord, and Villeurbanne-Sud
Intercommunality Lyon
Mayor Jean-Paul Bret
(2001–2014)
Statistics
Elevation 165–189 m (541–620 ft)
(avg. 181 m/594 ft)
Land area1 14.52 km2 (5.61 sq mi)
Population2 139,596  (2006)
 - Density 9,614 /km2 (24,900 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 69266/ 69100
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.
Gratte-Ciel (1934) in Villeurbanne

Villeurbanne is a commune in the Rhône department in in eastern France.

It is situated northeast of Lyon, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area in France after that of Paris. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.

Contents

History

The current location of downtown Villeurbanne is known to have been inhabited as far back as 6000 BC. Its current name comes from a Gallo-Roman farming area, established at about the same time as Lyon (then Lugdunum) and known as the Villa Urbana ("town house"). It would then become Urbanum, then Villa Urbane and, ultimately, Villeurbanne.

Villeurbanne has belonged to the kingdom of France since 1349. It was then separated from Lyon by the river La Rize, a former branch of the Rhône River.

Until the 19th century, the city was merely a patchwork of distinct villages separated by fields and undeveloped land. These villages have mostly survived, and nowadays form the neighborhoods of Charpennes, Cusset, Croix-Luizet, Maisons-Neuves, etc.

With the industrial era, Villeurbanne's economy soared: the textile industry was the first to bloom, followed by mechanical and chemical ones. The factories lured in numerous immigrants, most notably from Italy. Transforming from a rural community to an industrial town, Villeurbanne underwent a tremendous demographic boom in the late 1920s. From 3,000 inhabitants in 1928, its population rocketed to 82,000 in 1931. Mayor Lazare Goujon (elected 1924) engaged the city in a vast public works initiative. Arguably the most visible heritage of this program is the Gratte-Ciel, a housing complex made up of two Art Deco towers and annex smaller buildings, lining up along the Avenue Henri Barbusse. These structures are the work of architect Môrice Leroux, and one of the most notable Art Deco structures in France. Having undergone thorough renovation, the 19-story twin towers have become an emblem of the city.

Education

Many colleges and universities of the Lyon metropolitan area are located in Villeurbanne. Many of these are located on the La Doua campus, home to the Claude Bernard University (Lyon I), CPE Lyon and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon.

Transport

Villeurbanne is well served by the Lyon area public transit system, the TCL (Transports en Commun Lyonnais). The east branch of subway line A runs through the city heart, and the new tramway line T1 connects the La Doua campus to the Lyon business and commercial district of La Part-Dieu and the Presqu'île downtown.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Villeurbanne is twinned with:

Spain Abanilla, Spain
Belarus Mahilyow, Belarus
Armenia Apovian, Armenia
Russia Khabarovsk, Russia [1]
Israel Bat Yam, Israel

Notable people

The list of notable native Villeurbannais includes:

See also

Guillaume Bottazzi art work on a skyscraper

References

  1. ↑ Embassy of France in Moscow
Notes

External links