La Garenne-Colombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is located from
Notre Dame de ParisNotre Dame de Paris is a Gothic, Roman Catholic Cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the "cathedra", or official chair, of the Archbishop...
which is the
center of ParisIn many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.
The city used to be part of the neighbouring city of Colombes. At this time, before 1910, it was called "La Garenne de Colombes", which means "Colombes' Garenne". "Garenne" is French for "warren", so the English for "La Garenne-Colombes" could be "Columbia's warren" or "Warren of Columbia" ; yet the official translation of the name of the city is just "La Garenne-Colombes".
The explanation for the city being called "warren" is that it really used to be a warren where people would hunt.
La Garenne-Colombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is located from
Notre Dame de ParisNotre Dame de Paris is a Gothic, Roman Catholic Cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the "cathedra", or official chair, of the Archbishop...
which is the
center of ParisIn many countries, Kilometre Zero or similar terms in other languages, is a particular location , from which distances are traditionally measured...
. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.
Name
The city used to be part of the neighbouring city of Colombes. At this time, before 1910, it was called "La Garenne de Colombes", which means "Colombes' Garenne". "Garenne" is French for "warren", so the English for "La Garenne-Colombes" could be "Columbia's warren" or "Warren of Columbia" ; yet the official translation of the name of the city is just "La Garenne-Colombes".
The explanation for the city being called "warren" is that it really used to be a warren where people would hunt. But this dates back to the French Royalty, at the 18th century or so.
Geography
La Garenne-Colombes is usually simply called "La Garenne", and nicknamed "petit
NeuillyNeuilly-sur-Seine is a commune bordering the western limit of the city of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe....
".
Surroundings
Four towns surround La Garenne-Colombes:
ColombesColombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Colombes comes from Latin columna , meaning "column"...
(North),
Bois-ColombesBois-Colombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located . from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
(East),
CourbevoieCourbevoie is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 8.2 km. from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe....
(South) and
NanterreNanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west from the center of Paris.Nanterre is the préfecture of the Hauts-de-Seine département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
(West). The city is quiet small compared with the other cities in the
Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine is a département in France. It is part of the region of Île-de-France region, and covers the near western suburbs of Paris...
, it is more or less as small as the first arrondissement of
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Very close to La Garenne-Colombes are
La DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district for the city of Paris. With a population of 20,844, it is centered in an oval freeway loop straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
and the Île de la Jatte island (Bowl Island).
Transportation
La Garenne-Colombes is served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Saint-Lazare suburban rail line: La Garenne-Colombes and Les Vallées (this last station is located at the border between the commune of La Garenne-Colombes and the commune of
Bois-ColombesBois-Colombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located . from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
, with a postal address in La Garenne-Columbia). The train has been used there since 1837.
The two stations directly join Paris's most important urban station (Gare Saint-Lazare, Saint-Lazare station) in 10 minutes and the biggest university in Paris (Paris Ouest La Défense University, Western Paris University La Défense) in 2 minutes.
In 1935, five Tramway lines crossed La Garenne-Colombes.
Many
RATPThe Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Paris and its surroundings. It is under the authority of the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France , the Paris region transit authority...
Bus lines also cross the city: lines 73, 161, 163, 164, 176, 178, 262, 272, 278, 358 and 378.
Two
RATPThe Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Paris and its surroundings. It is under the authority of the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France , the Paris region transit authority...
NoctilienNoctilien is the night bus service in Paris and its agglomeration. It is managed by the STIF and operated RATP and Transilien...
night Bus lines cross the city: N24 and N152.
In 2012, the line 2 of the
Parisian TramwayTramways are operated in Paris by its public transport authority, RATP, which also operates the Paris Métro and most bus services. The city currently has four lines and is planning an additional one.-History:...
will cross La Garenne-Colombes, with two stations: Les Fauvelles (French for Wildcats) and Charlebourg. To join the center of the CBD, 2 to 4 minutes will be required by tramway.
History
The commune of La Garenne-Colombes was created on 2 May 1910 by detaching its territory from the commune of
ColombesColombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Colombes comes from Latin columna , meaning "column"...
. Yet, it was urbanised much earlier. This entity was already mentioned in 1240 as "La Garenne dépendant de Colombes" ("La Garenne depending on
ColombesColombes is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Colombes comes from Latin columna , meaning "column"...
").
Demography
style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 0.5em"| Demographic evolution
| 1911 | 1921 | 1926 | 1931 | 1936 | 1946 | 1954 | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2005 |
|---|
| 14 534 |
18 512 |
20 545 |
23 167 |
24 734 |
24 080 |
26 753 |
27 341 |
26 562 |
24 038 |
20 990 |
21 754 |
24 067 |
27 500 (est.) |
| Since 1962 : Population without double counting |
As the commune's territory is entirely built, population can only grow if buildings are distructed and replaced by buildings containing more people (higher, less gardens). Thereby the population will grow certainly over the 30,000 after many reconstructions in the "Champs-Philippe" neighbourhood, with a density over 17,000 inhabitants per square kilometres (43,855 inhabitants per square miles).
According to the stats, La Garenne-Colombes is an average city of the
Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine is a département in France. It is part of the region of Île-de-France region, and covers the near western suburbs of Paris...
department (
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
region), which is one of the richest places in Europe.
Economy
The lanscape looks like an American CBD. But this is in the suburbs of
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, which do not look like downtown Paris districts of the Eiffel Tower or Champs-Elysées. Paradoxally, the most advanced part of the city of Paris, urbanly speaking, is on the outskirts of the city itself.
There used to be many workshops in La Garenne-Colombes, as in a large part of the
Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine is a département in France. It is part of the region of Île-de-France region, and covers the near western suburbs of Paris...
department. Today, it mainly is a residential city. However, some 1200 business units are there.
The tertiary activity
The service is paramount in the economy of La Garenne-Colombes. The proximity of
La DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district for the city of Paris. With a population of 20,844, it is centered in an oval freeway loop straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
increases this phenomenon. There is :
- Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest European carmaker.Peugeot's roots go back to 19th-century coffee mill and bicycle manufacturing. The Peugeot company and family is originally from Sochaux, France. Peugeot retains a large manufacturing plant and...
study offices
- Boston Scientific
The Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
International
- France's Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002...
- RATP
The Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens is the major transit operator responsible for public transportation in Paris and its surroundings. It is under the authority of the Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France , the Paris region transit authority...
's Charlebourg center
The arrival of the Tramway in 2012 results in a redevelopment of a part of the city. It should bring a new breath to the local economy.
The city
In spite of the proximity of
La DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district for the city of Paris. With a population of 20,844, it is centered in an oval freeway loop straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
and
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
which has applied a strong pressure, no big buildings were built in La Garenne. Residential uses (detached homes and apartment buildings) account for the majority of the building stock in La Garenne-Colombes and many of the town's residential buildings were constructed in the early 1900s. In a large part of the town, new constructions are limited to 4 floors.
The neighbourwood of the place de Belgique and National boulevard, which is the entry of
La DéfenseLa Défense is a major business district for the city of Paris. With a population of 20,844, it is centered in an oval freeway loop straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
, is being redeveloped.
Green ways
Eight green ways are in La Garenne-Colombes, exactly:
- two public squares
- two gardens
- four parks
Commonly known places
- Place de la Liberté (Freedom square), know under the name of place du marché (market) or place de l'Eglise (church)
- Place du Général Leclerc, known under the name of place de la Fontaine (Fountain plaza)
- Place de Belgique (Belgium square)
- Rond-point du Souvenir français, known under the name of place Jean Baillet
- Rond-point de l'Europe (Europe's plaza)
Mayors List
- 1910-1933: Jean Bonal
- 1934-1943: Docteur Charles Jubert
- 1944: Maurice Godaux
- 1944-1945: André Crimet
- 1945-1947: Gaston Sourrisseau
- 1947-1955: Louis Jean
- 1955-1971: René Guest
- 1971-1975: Albert Fabbi
- 1975-2001: Docteur Max Catrin
- since 2001: Philippe Juvin
Twin cities
ClarksvilleClarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,400 at the 2000 United States Census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
, USA
ValpaçosValpaços is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 548.8 km² and a total population of 19,154 inhabitants.The municipality is composed of 31 parishes, and is located in the district of Vila Real....
,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
Wangen im AllgäuWangen im Allgäu is a historic city in southeast Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It lies north-east of Lake Constance in the Westallgäu. It is the second-largest city in the Ravensburg district and is a nexus for the surrounding communities...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Yoqneam,
IsraelIsrael officially the State of Israel , is a developed state in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its...
Education
- Primary schools: René Guest, André Marsault, Ernest Renan (built in 1905), Sainte Geneviève, Sagot Voltaire
- Junior high school: Les Vallées
- Professional senior high school: La Tournelle
- In 2009, a new primary school: Edelweiss, for handicapped and autistic children (first school of the kind in France)
- In 2009, a new junior high school
The city own a castle in Normandy where they send the scholars for class-holidays.
Life in La Garenne-Colombes
According to statistics published by the Figaro newspaper, La Garenne-Colombes is the
Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine is a département in France. It is part of the region of Île-de-France region, and covers the near western suburbs of Paris...
's city with the lowest crime rate, without forgetting that the
Hauts-de-SeineHauts-de-Seine is a département in France. It is part of the region of Île-de-France region, and covers the near western suburbs of Paris...
is a very quiet part of the
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
region.
Born in La Garenne-Colombes
- Patrick Chesnais
- Biography :Patrick Chesnais was born in La Garenne-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine. In 1989, he won the César Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in the film La Lectrice directed by Michel Deville...
(1947), French actor
- Émilie Lepennec (1987), French gymnast
- Fernand Oury
Fernand Oury was a pedagogue and creator of modern French schooling, recommending a "school of the people", where the children are no longer the passive ones "taught", but the people with a whole share in managing their training and the everyday life of their classes...
(1920), French pedagogue and creator of modern French schooling
- Catherine Picard
Catherine Picard is a French politician from the French Socialist Party. She used to be a member of the French National Assembly.-Career:Responsible for public education, Picard was elected on June 1, 1997 to the French Socialist Party....
(1952), French politician
Lived in La Garenne-Colombes
- William Klein
William Klein is a photographer and filmmaker. Though born in New York City and educated at the City College of New York, Klein is predominantly active in France...
, American painter, film-maker and photographer
- Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a prominent Chinese politician, statesman, theorist, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng became a reformer who led China towards market economics...
, Chinese politic leader
Died in La Garenne-Colombes
- Jean Mitry
Jean Mitry was a French film theorist, critic and filmmaker, co-founder of France's first film society and later of the Cinémathèque Française in 1938....
(1907–1988), French film theorist, criticThe word critic comes from the Greek , "able to discern", which in turn derives from the word , meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation...
and filmmaker
External links