Villeurbanne
Encyclopedia
Villeurbanne is a commune
in the Rhône department 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.
) 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.
(Lyon I), CPE Lyon
and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon
.
). The east branch of subway line A
runs through the city heart, and the new tram
way line T1 connects the La Doua campus to the Lyon business and commercial district of La Part-Dieu and the Presqu'île downtown.
with:
, the 27th city of France. It is also the biggest city of France to be only a chef-lieu
of a canton
and not to be a prefecture.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Rhône department in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is situated northeast of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, with which it forms the heart of the second-largest metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in France after that of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Villeurbanne is the second-largest city in the department.
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 LugdunumLugdunum
Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
) and known as the Villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
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
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
.
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
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
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 UniversityUniversité Claude Bernard Lyon 1
The Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, also known as Université Lyon 1 or UCBL, is one of the three public universities of Lyon, France. The dominant areas of study covered by the university are science and medicine. The main administrative, teaching and research facilities are located in...
(Lyon I), CPE Lyon
CPE Lyon
École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon or CPE Lyon is a french engineering school.It is located in Villeurbanne, near Lyon.CPE Lyon offers a high level of teaching in two different disciplines :...
and the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon
The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon or INSA de Lyon is a Grande École d'Ingénieurs. INSA was founded in 1957 to train highly qualified engineers, support continuing education, and conduct research and testing. The five-year curriculum aims at training engineers who possess humane...
.
Transport
Villeurbanne is well served by the Lyon area public transit system, the TCL (Transports en Commun LyonnaisTransports en commun lyonnais
The Transports en commun lyonnais is the Lyon public transport agency. It is the second largest public transport system in France , and covers 62 communes, including all 57 communes of the Urban Community of Lyon, spread over .- Network :The TCL manages:*4 metro lines...
). The east branch of subway line A
Lyon Metro Line A
Line A of the Lyon Metro was constructed using the cut-and-cover method, and went into service on May 2, 1978...
runs through the city heart, and the new tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way line T1 connects the La Doua campus to the Lyon business and commercial district of La Part-Dieu and the Presqu'île downtown.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Villeurbanne is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
-
Spain AbanillaAbanillaAbanilla is a Spanish municipality located in the Comarca Oriental in the Autonomous Community of Murcia. It lies close to the border of the province of Alicante in the Autonomous Community of Valencia.-Geography:...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... -
Belarus Mahilyow, BelarusBelarusBelarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,... -
Armenia AbovyanAbovyanAbovyan is a city in Armenia in the province of Kotayk. It is located 15 km northeast of Yerevan and 36 km southeast of the province centre Hrazdan. In 2009, the estimated population of the city was 46,000, down from 59,000 at the 1989 census...
, ArmeniaArmeniaArmenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia... -
Russia KhabarovskKhabarovskKhabarovsk is the largest city and the administrative center of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia. It is located some from the Chinese border. It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... -
Israel Bat Yam, IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
Demography
In terms of number of inhabitants, the city of Villeurbanne is the second city of the Rhône department, the fourth city of the region Rhône-AlpesRhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...
, the 27th city of France. It is also the biggest city of France to be only a chef-lieu
Chef-lieu
A chef-lieu is a town or city that is pre-eminent, from an administrative perspective, in any given sub-division of territory in France and some French-speaking countries.-In Algeria:...
of a canton
Cantons of France
The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
and not to be a prefecture.
Notable people
The list of notable native Villeurbannais includes:- Mourad BenhamidaMourad BenhamidaMourad Benhamida is a French footballer of Tunisian origin.-Career:He was trained in the youth sections and player development program of Olympique Lyon.-Olympique Lyon:...
, French footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er, 18 January 1986. - Henri CochetHenri CochetHenri Jean Cochet was a champion tennis player, one of the famous "Four Musketeers" from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s....
, French tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, 4 December 1901 († 1987). - Laure ManaudouLaure ManaudouLaure Manaudou |Rhône]]) is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother.- 2004 Olympics :...
, French swimmer, world record holder, 9 October 1986. - Jean-Karl Vernay, French race car driver, 31 October 1987.