La Courneuve
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| La Courneuve | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Région | Île-de-France |
| Départment | Seine-Saint-Denis |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Denis |
| Canton | La Courneuve |
| INSEE | 93027 |
| Postal Code | 93 120 |
| Mayor Current Term | Gilles Poux of the French Communist Party |
| Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération Plaine Commune |
| Longitude | 02° 23' 48" East |
| Latitude | 48° 55' 56" North |
| Altitudes | average : 40m minimum : 29m maximum : 60 |
| Area | 7.52 km² |
| Population without double-counting | 35,700 35,310 inhab. (July 1, 2004 estimate) (March 8, 1999 census) |
| Population Density | 4,747 inhab./km² |
La Courneuve is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 8.3 km. (5.2 miles) from the center of Paris. It is known for its large zones of high-rise public housing buildings, inhabited mostly by immigrants and their descendents.
History
The history of La Courneuve begins as the rest of the region with the invasion of European tribes and the eventual conquering of the area by the Romans. During the Middle Ages, the area was like many small villages. With it's proximity to Paris, the country area became a fashionable country destination, with a number of gentry residing there and 2 notable châteaus, Sainte-Foi and Poitronville. Towards the end of Napolean's reign, the entire area experienced large population growth,this along with improved methods of farming eventually had area become the major legume producer for the Paris region.1863 was the year of the first major industrial enterprise, and the city would soon become a strange mix of mass producing factories side by side with farmlands, industrial estates juxtaposed against bean plantations and that would continue until after World War II. During the 1960's, as Paris could no longer meet the demands of a further exploding population (largely the result of immigration from former colonies), La Courneuve, like the most other suburbs of Paris, was designated as one of the "zones à urbaniser en priorité" (areas to be urbanized quickly) and was built up at a very rapid pace, with the construction of large tower blocks and other HLM developements. Between 1962 and 1968 the population nearly doubled.
Today the area is one of the most deprived in the country, and is attempting to revitalize itself. The city is plagued by crime and was the scene of the accidental shooting of a young boy in 2005, prompting national outcry, and upon visiting in June 2005, Nicolas Sarkozy, then Minister of the Interior, vowed to clean out La Courneuve "with a Kärcher (high water pressure cleaner)". La Courneuve was also an area heavily affected by the riots of November 2005. The city has earned itself a reputation as a crime riden, desolate ghetto, and the local authority is in the course of implementing what it says will be far reaching projects and reforms for the city's economy and civil society.
Transportation
La Courneuve is served by La Courneuve – 8 Mai 1945 station on Paris Metro line 7.
La Courneuve is also served by La Courneuve – Aubervilliers station on Paris RER line B.
Sources
External link
- () [Official site]
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