Aulnay-sous-Bois
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Aulnay-sous-Bois () is a
commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...
in the
Seine-Saint-Denis () is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobig ...
department in the
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
region in the north-eastern suburbs of
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
,
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. It is located from the Kilometre zero. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aulnaysiens'' or ''Aulnaysiennes'' in French. The commune has been awarded four flowers by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.


Geography


Situation

Aulnay-sous-Bois is located in the Paris area and is 19 km north-east of
Notre-Dame Cathedral Notre-Dame de Paris (; meaning "Our Lady of Paris"), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the Seine River), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the ...
, 1 km east of Le Bourget Airport, and 5 km south-west of
Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, ), also known as Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG, is the principal airport serving the French capital, Paris ( and its metropolitan area), and the largest intern ...
. The commune stretches over a length of 6.5 km from north to south and a width ranging from 1.4 to 4.3 km from east to west and covers an area of 1,620 hectares. The town is surrounded by the
A3 autoroute The A3 Autoroute is a French autoroute located entirely within the départment of Seine-Saint-Denis, serving Montreuil-sous-Bois, Rosny-sous-Bois, and Bondy. Its southern terminus is an interchange with the Boulevard Périphérique at the Po ...
in the west which joins the
A1 autoroute The A1 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Nord (the Northern Motorway), is the busiest of France's autoroutes. With a length of , it connects Paris with the northern city of Lille. It is managed by the Société des Autoroutes du Nord et ...
in the north.
Route nationale 2 The Route nationale 2 (N 2) is a route nationale in northern France. Route Paris-Soissons-Laon-La Capelle-''Belgium (N 6)'' History The N 2 was initially defined in 1811 as ''route impériale'' 2, running from Paris all the way to Amsterdam via ...
passes through the heart of the commune from west to east with the N370 coming from the south-east along the eastern border to join the N2. The D44 passes through from north-west to south-east and the D115 from
Bobigny Bobigny () is a commune, or town, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Bobigny is the prefecture (capital city) of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, as well as the seat of the A ...
in the south-west passes through the centre and continues to Villepinte in the east. The Ourcq Canal passes through the south-eastern end, adjacent to
Livry-Gargan Livry-Gargan () is a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. History On 20 May, 1869, a part of the territory of Livry-Gargan was detached and merged with a part of the territory of Clich ...
. Distribution of urban zones is: *Residential: 44% *Industrial: 30% *Housing Estates: 11% *Natural areas (parks): 15%


Districts

*The north of Aulnay-sous-Bois consists of large housing estates (including the ''City of 3000'' and ''Milles-Milles''), industrial areas (
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
, Garonor, and O'Parinor), and parks (Robert Ballanger Park and Sausset Park): **The ''Rose des Vents'' (also known as the ''City of 3000'' in reference to the number of dwellings constructed) **The ''Etangs'' (Ponds) (there are the East Etangs - also called ''Les Nénuphars'', and the West Etangs) **The ''Merisier'' **The ''City of Emmaus'' **Balagny **La Garenne **Ambourget (also called ''Mitry'' or ''Mille-mille'') **Savigny **The ''Gros Saule'' (A district categorised as a ZSP or Special Security zone) *The central area, called the district of ''Vieux Pays'' (Old Country), is older especially with its Church of Saint-Sulpice built in the 12th century and its farm. It includes ''La Roseraie, Maximilien Robespierre, Le Vieux Pays, Tour Eiffel'', and ''Hotel de Ville''. *The south, across the railway line, is wealthier and residential in nature. It consists of suburban districts and is bordered by the
Canal de l'Ourcq The Canal de l'Ourcq is a long canal in the Île-de-France region (greater Paris) with 10 locks. It was built at a width of but was enlarged to 3.7 m (12 ft), which permitted use by more pleasure boats. The canal begins at Port-au ...
. It includes ''Chanteloup, Central Station, Pont de l'Union'', and ''Nonneville''.


Rose-des-Vents

When the construction of ''Clos Saint-Lazare'' at
Stains A stain is an unwanted localized discoloration, often in fabrics or textiles. Stain(s) or The Stain(s) may also refer to: Color * Stain (heraldry), a non-standard tincture * Staining, in biology, a technique used to highlight contrast in samples ...
ended, urbanization of the northern districts of Aulnay-sous-Bois began. The idea was to create an area of factories. It was on this basis that the area of ''Rose des Vents'' was built in 1969 in the northern part of Aulnay-sous-Bois. This "Great Housing Estate" was built on former agricultural land. Its mission was to provide shelter for workers and managers for a new Citroën plant to be located a few hundred metres away. Beyond the ''Rose des Vents'', which is also known as the ''City of 3000'', all of the housing estates in the northern districts total 6,500 housing units including 745 detached houses. 24,000 people, or 30% of the population of Aulnay-sous-Bois, are housed on 4% of the territory.


Communication routes


Roads

The city is served by: *Autoroutes: A1, A3, A104 (the Francilienne) * National Roads: N2 and N370 *Departmental Routes: D115, D44, D40, D401


SNCF Railway station, tramway

The commune is traversed by the main railway line from Paris to Soissons, Laon, and Hirson which serves the
Aulnay-sous-Bois station Aulnay-sous-Bois is the major railway station in the town of Aulnay-sous-Bois, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis). It is on the RER B and the Transilien K lines. The station is also the terminus for tramway T4. Photo gallery File:Gare ...
where all buses and semi-direct services of ( Roissy and
Mitry-Mory Mitry-Mory () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris from the center just off the N2 national highway. About one-sixth of Charles d ...
) and the
Transilien Transilien () is the brand name given to the commuter rail network serving Île-de-France, the region surrounding and including the city of Paris. The network consists of eight lines: H, J, K, L, N, U, P and R, each operated by SNCF, th ...
Paris to Crépy-en-Valois (connecting with
TER Ter or TER may refer to: Places * River Ter, in Essex, England * Ter (river), in Catalonia * Ter (department), a region in France * Torre (river), (Slovene: ''Ter''), a river in Italy * Ter, Ljubno, a settlement in the Municipality of Ljubno ob ...
Villers to Cotterêts/Soissons/Laon) stop and it is the terminus of the line. The station has a park and ride with a parking fee. Since November 2006, the classic commuter train the ''Ligne des Coquetiers'' (The Egg-cups line) between Aulnay-sous-Bois to Bondy has been replaced by a
Tram-train A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...
that takes the same route and allows connection to the and . Two branches are planned: the first to
Clichy-sous-Bois Clichy-sous-Bois () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from central Paris.Montfermeil Montfermeil () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Montfermeil is famous as the location of Thénardiers' inn in ''Les Misérables''. It has made the headlines due to troubles in its so ...
on the Gargan heights; the second towards Garonor through Rose-des-Vents and the N370 to the heights of Rougemont-Chanteloup. Between September 2009 to January 2011, the
Aulnay-sous-Bois station Aulnay-sous-Bois is the major railway station in the town of Aulnay-sous-Bois, in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis). It is on the RER B and the Transilien K lines. The station is also the terminus for tramway T4. Photo gallery File:Gare ...
has had work done to allow access to all platforms for disabled persons including: the development of four lifts, the rehabilitation of the railway station and underpasses, and the installation of new lighting. Aulnay-sous-Bois station is also served by bus routes: * * * * * Villepinte Station is located halfway between Aulnay-sous-Bois and Villepinte and it provides access to the district of ''Rose des Vents''. Villepinte station is served by buses: TRA 609 615 617 642 683(RER) (B)(BUS) In 2023 a station on line 16 in the
Grand Paris Express Grand Paris Express is a group of new rapid transit lines being built in the Île-de-France region of France. The project comprises four new lines for Paris Métro, plus extensions of existing Lines 11 and 14. A total of of new track and 68 n ...
project is planned north of the commune on the embankment of the former N2 road. Its platforms will be at a depth of 15 metres.Information page on Aulnay Station
- Société du Grand Paris
Presentation at the public information meeting in Aulnay-sous-Bois on 9 December 2013
Société du Grand Paris


Bus

The city is served by various bus networks: * * * * * In the medium term, it is proposed the creation of a "transverse" line by merging lines. In addition, it is also planned to create a circular line to connect different parts of the city to avoid "reloading" (a change of bus) for trips between all economic areas of the city and its public facilities.


Taxi stand

There is a taxi rank at Aulnay-sous-Bois station .


Air transport

Aulnay-sous-Bois is located 5 km from
Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (french: Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, ), also known as Roissy Airport or simply Paris CDG, is the principal airport serving the French capital, Paris ( and its metropolitan area), and the largest intern ...
. The airport can be reached by (4 stations) or by the A1 and A3 autoroutes.


Toponymy

"Aulnay" is a common French toponym and may derive from the
Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functione ...
''alnetum'' meaning "
alder Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
grove" after the alder trees () which covered Aulnay-sous-Bois in ancient times. An alternative derivation is that Aulnay takes its name from its location in ''pagellus alnetenis'' - ''Aulnaye Country'' ''Aulnoye'' or ''Aunois'' was a small agricultural area in
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
. It included a dozen villages and hamlets scattered between thickets, meadows and woods. The village was surrounded by the ''Forest of Bondy'' which covered most of the north-east of Paris. The location previously bore the names Aunay, Aunais, Anay, Aunoye, Aulnaye, Aulnay-la-Fosse, Aulnay-en-France (15th century), becoming Aulnay-lès-Bondy (i.e. "Aulnay by Bondy") in 1787. The commune was renamed Aulnay-sous-Bois (i.e. "Aulnay under the woods") on 5 January 1903 in reference to the ancient ''Forest of Bondy''. Other nearby commune names (
Clichy-sous-Bois Clichy-sous-Bois () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from central Paris.Les Pavillons-sous-Bois Les Pavillons-sous-Bois () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. History The commune of Les Pavillons-sous-Bois was created on 3 January 1905 by detaching its territory from the commune of ...
, and
Rosny-sous-Bois Rosny-sous-Bois () is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is the seat of the national centre of road information of the national gendarmerie. Population Heraldry Transport Rosny ...
) also refer to the same forest.


History

The area was originally settled around 6000 BC (remains found in the Valley of Sausset). Between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, farmers living around a "villa" belonging to ''Sabinus'' - the Savigny Farm. Two places independent from the
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
of Saint Sulpice were Savigny and Nonneville which were attached to the current village. Until the 15th century the lords bore the name of ''d'Aulnay''. The lord Jacques Coitier passed succession to his heirs through his nephew to the Gourgues family. The
Canal de l'Ourcq The Canal de l'Ourcq is a long canal in the Île-de-France region (greater Paris) with 10 locks. It was built at a width of but was enlarged to 3.7 m (12 ft), which permitted use by more pleasure boats. The canal begins at Port-au ...
was dug during the Napoleonic period to facilitate relations with Paris. Excavation began in 1803 and the canal was opened between Paris and Claye in 1813. The register of city council meetings shows that 13 May 1814 was the first Prussian occupation of the village. There were also Prussian occupations in 1814 and 1870. Over a long period houses were destroyed and fields remained deserted. On 15 August 1838 a postal boat service was started on the Canal de l'Ourcq from Paris to
Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...
. This service stopped in 1849. In 1875, the French Northern Railway opened a station on the new
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
to
Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital o ...
line. The rise of Aulnay was largely due to this event. In 1883 the Parc district began to emerge in the south from a fragment of the Forest of Bondy. In the years which followed cohabitation between the rural community of ''Vieux-Pays'' (Old Country) and the more urban community of ''Parc'' was difficult. There was even talk of cutting the city in two: Aulnay-les-Bondy for Vieux-Pays and Aulnay-sous-Bois for Parc. The population of Aulnay rose from 780 inhabitants in 1885 to 1,012 in 1886. In 1896 the municipal council was mostly made up of inhabitants of Parc but undertook the development of the entire community of Aulnay. A school, a post office, streets, and bridges were built in the south. The creation of "worker trains" by the French Northern Railway attracted many workers to acquire land. Large properties began to fragment. ''Parc'' was sold in lots. Tempted by the greenery on the outskirts of Paris, Parisians bought land and transformed the place into a holiday and residential area. At the beginning of the 20th century Aulnay grew through accentuation on rail traffic and installation of industries. On 5 January 1903, the city became Aulnay-sous-Bois. In September 1914 Aulnay was saved from German military occupation by the counter-offensive during the
First Battle of the Marne The First Battle of the Marne was a battle of the First World War fought from 5 to 12 September 1914. It was fought in a collection of skirmishes around the Marne River Valley. It resulted in an Entente victory against the German armies in the ...
. In 1924 the Radiator Company commenced operation and provided employment for 2,300 workers. Other small mechanical or chemical industries also moved to Aulnay. Between 1920 and 1931 most of the housing estates were completed. In 1935 the population of the housing estates represented approximately 40% of the total population of Aulnay. In 1955 the large rural area in the north of the commune began to urbanize: large multi-family housing estates were planned and built. In 1962 the first group of buildings at ''Merisiers'' was built. In 1969 and 1970 a housing zone of 3,000 housing units was built in the district of Rose des Vents. In 1971 the Citroën company opened its first factory in the Paris region north of the city. By 1985 Aulnay was completely urbanized. At that date the extension of the northern part and the establishment of industrial zones was complete. Many facilities were added in the districts and gave the city its present face.


Heraldry


Politics


Administration

Since the French canton reform, which came into effect in March 2015, Aulnay-sous-Bois forms one canton: Canton of Aulnay-sous-Bois. The city is part of the ''Syndicat d'équipement et d'aménagement des Pays de France et de l'Aulnoye'' (Facilities and development association of Pays de France and Aulnoye) (SEAPFA).


Administrative changes

Until 1787, the parish of Aulnay was part of the province of
Île-de-France The Île-de-France (, ; literally "Isle of France") is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France. Centred on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the country and often called the ''Région parisienne'' (; en, Pa ...
, Prévôté, Généralité, Élection de Paris, Subdélégation de Saint-Denis. In 1787, during the formation of the department of Saint-Germain, the village of Aulnay was within the jurisdiction of
Gonesse Gonesse () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department, in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The commune lies immediately north of Le Bourget Airport, and it is six kilometres (four miles) south- ...
. In 1790 Aulnay was part of the department of
Seine-et-Oise Seine-et-Oise () was the former department of France encompassing the western, northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris.arrondissement of Pontoise The arrondissement of Pontoise is an Arrondissements of France, arrondissement of France in the Val-d'Oise Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region. It has 105 Communes of France, communes. Its population is ...
. In 1903 Aulnay-lès-Bondy became ''Aulnay-sous-Bois''. The first Canton of Aulnay-sous-Bois was founded in 1922 and included
Blanc-Mesnil Blanc-Mesnil is a village and former commune in the Seine-Maritime department, northwestern France. Since 1822, it is part of Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer Sainte-Marguerite-sur-Mer (, literally ''Sainte-Marguerite on Sea'') is a commune in the S ...
,
Sevran Sevran () is a commune in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. It is located from the center of Paris. Geography Sevran is located northeast of the Boulevard Périphérique.
, Villepinte, and Tremblay-les-Gonesse. From 1964 the city formed a Canton of Aulnay alone. Aulnay-sous-Bois, previously under the Department of
Seine-et-Oise Seine-et-Oise () was the former department of France encompassing the western, northern and southern parts of the metropolitan area of Paris.Seine-Saint-Denis () is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobig ...
, Arrondissement of Le Raincy, under the Act of 10 July 1964. This reform came into force on 1 January 1968. Between July 1967 and March 2015, Aulnay-sous-Bois was divided into two separate electoral districts and had two councillors.


Mayors

The 2008 French municipal elections, in Aulnay-sous-Bois were annulled on 2 October 2008 by the Administrative Court of Cergy-Pontoise due to putting up posters in the night before the second round of municipal elections. An appeal was brought before the Council of State and the municipal council and the elections in March 2008 remained in place until the court's decision. The elections were finally validated after the decision of the court. ; Mayors from 1939


Demographics

According to INSEE (2004), the average household income is €15,000. Much of the upper-middle class lives in the south of the town. The canton of Aulnay-Sud has a very different character from the canton of Aulnay-Nord, owing to differences in education and wages. For example, the average income in the south of the town is around €20,000 - €25,000 (2004), much higher than the national average of €15,000 (2004). Furthermore, the north (Aulnay-Nord) has a high number of
HLM An habitation à loyer modéré (HLM, , ), is a form of low-income housing in France, Algeria, Senegal, and Quebec. It may be public or private, with rent subsidies. HLMs constitute 16% of all housing in France.Socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...
representative (Gerard Segura) to the Council-General for the
Seine-Saint-Denis () is a department of France located in the Grand Paris metropolis in the region. In French, it is often referred to colloquially as ' or ' ("ninety-three" or "nine three"), after its official administrative number, 93. Its prefecture is Bobig ...
Department, but Aulnay-Sud a
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
(Jacques Chaussat).


Immigration

As of circa 1998 there were about 3,000 persons of East and Southeast Asian origin in Aulnay, while there were a total of 6,000 living in the area around Aulnay. Most of them were of Cambodian origin, including those with and without Cambodian citizenship. The commune also had an above-average number of persons of Laotian origin, including those with and without Laotian citizenship. Ethnicities included Khmer people,
Lao people The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere ...
, and Overseas Chinese.Guillon, Michelle. "The Chinese and Chinese Districts in Paris" (Chapter 11). In: Sinn, Elizabeth (editor). ''The Last Half Century of Chinese Overseas''.
Hong Kong University Press Hong Kong University Press is the university press of the University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially t ...
, 1 January 1998. , 9789622094468. CITED: p
197
Many Asian families in Aulnay arrived in the period 1982 through 1990. As of circa 1998 most of the Asians in Aulnay resided in Les Trois Mille, a social housing estate, mainly due to a social agency wanting to increase ethnic diversity in a predominately North African area. As of circa 1998 there were about 1,280 Asians in the Aulnay area active in the job market, and about 100 of the ethnic Chinese in the Aulnay area worked in Belleville and the 13th arrondissement of Paris. Even though Citroën factories are in proximity to Tres Trois Mille, relatively less than 88 of the Asians in Aulnay work in the factories.


Political trends and results

For the 2007 elections Aulnay-sous-Bois was one of 82 communes with more than 3,500 people to use voting machines. They have been used for all polling stations since the 2004 European elections. The municipal council elected in 2008 decided to return to vote by paper ballots.


Twinning

Aulnay-sous-Bois has twinning associations with: * Rufisque (
Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
) since 2011. *
Al-Ram Al-Ram ( ar, الرّام), also transcribed as Al-Ramm, El-Ram, Er-Ram, and A-Ram, is a Palestinian town which lies northeast of Jerusalem, just outside the city's municipal border. The village is part of the built-up urban area of Jerusalem, the ...
( Palestine) since 2010. * Abala District ( Republic of the Congo) since 2003.


Demography

In 2017 the commune had 85,740 inhabitants. The Centre for Strategic Analysis conducted a study on the city: the extract below tends to reflect a bad reputation, not necessarily deserved in all its aspects. "It would be wrong to present Aulnay simply as a disadvantaged commune. It is a city which is composed in part of professions, middle, and senior management. It is also a city with important economic resources - three economic centres are located there: a
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
factory, a
L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, ...
group centre, and a Garanor centre of economic activity..." In 2011 Aulnay-sous-Bois was the 55th most populated commune in France.


Economy

The city had good growth due to companies like
L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, ...
and
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
being located there. There are concerns, however, resulting from the departure of Xerox FranceAddress of Xérox France at Saint-Denis
and the fears that plague the Citroën plant.


Statistics

Aulnay-sous-Bois had 3,398 business enterprises in 2012 and 622 new enterprises were created in that year.


Large companies

*Aulnay-sous-Bois is home to the largest company in the department: Peugeot-Citroën Aulnay with over 5,000 employees and a production of about 400,000 vehicles per year. *
L'Oréal L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, ...
is located in the commune (a street and a pathway in the city bear the name of its founder
Eugène Schueller Eugène Paul Louis Schueller (20 March 1881 – 23 August 1957) was a French pharmacist and entrepreneur who was the founder of L'Oréal, the world's leading company in cosmetics and beauty. He was one of the founders of modern advertising. Foun ...
), with a factory in the north and a research centre in the south. *The Garonor logistics park has many freight companies. *The O'Parinor regional mall (see shopping). The city itself employs nearly 2,400 people and thus constitutes one of the largest employers in the town (see Administrative Staff).


Automotive production

In May 1973 it was reported that the first
Citroën DS The Citroën DS () is a front mid-engined, front-wheel drive executive car manufactured and marketed by Citroën from 1955 to 1975, in fastback/sedan, wagon/estate, and convertible body configurations, across three series of one generation. ...
had emerged from the production line at Citroën's new plant at Aulnay. The plant has subsequently produced various Citroën and
Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
models and has on occasion hit the headlines as a focus of industrial strife. On 12 July 2012
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
announced that it will permanently close the Aulnay-sous-Bois plant due to overcapacity. Aulnay is also the site of the subterranean Citroën repository of Citroën archives and 370 Citroën cars produced over the years. The repository, established in 2002, is not open to the public although members of Citroën enthusiasts' clubs and other important visitors are occasionally granted access to it.


Shops

The O'Parinor regional mall is located in the commune. There is an Intermarché Hypermarket in Chanteloup. There is at least one market every day from Tuesday through Sunday: *At Galion in the heart of ''Rose des Vents'': Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays *At Vieux-Pays: Wednesdays and Saturdays *On the Boulevard de Strasbourg: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays Two markets were held on the ''Place des Etangs'' and in the Ambourget district without success.


Culture and heritage


Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings which contain items registered as historical objects: *The Savigny Farm contains a Group sculpture: Saint Antoine (14th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy *The Church Square contains 12a Group sculpture: Saint Antoine (14th century)


Religious heritage

The commune has one religious building that is registered as a historical monument: *The Church of Saint-Sulpice (12th century). The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects: **12 Anagogic Stained glass windows (20th century) **2 Tombstones of Elisabeth Guibillon and Jeanne Berson (17th century) **A Painting: Christ and Saint Mary Magdalene (18th century) **A Painting: Saint Vincent de Paul (19th century) **A Painting: The meal of Emaus (1711) **A Tombstone of Thomas Michel (1665) **A Tombstone of Jacques Longer (1711) **A Tombstone of Louis Le Clerc de Cottier (1679) **A Tombstone of Robert la Nesle (1745) **A Painting: The meal of Emaus (1713) **A Painting: Saint Roch and the plague (18th century) **A Silver plate and 2 Silver
Cruet A cruet (), also called a caster, is a small flat-bottomed vessel with a narrow neck. Cruets often have an integral lip or spout, and may also have a handle. Unlike a small carafe, a cruet has a stopper or lid. Cruets are normally made from gla ...
s (1826) **A Statue: Virgin and Child (17th century) **A Console (18th century) **2 Sculptures: Angels seated holding a shield (18th century) **10 decorative windows (19th century) **2 stained glass windows of Saint Dominique and Saint Roch (1865) **2 stained glass windows of the Assumption and the Resurrection (1866) Other churches contain items registered as historical objects: *The Chapel of Saint-Paul d'Ambourget contains abstract stained glass windows (20th century) *The Church of Saint-Joseph at 57 Avenue de la Croix-Blanche contains: **10 stained glass windows depicting saints (1934-1940) **2 stained glass windows of Saint Adrien and Saint Martha (1934) **2 stained glass windows of Saint Mary (1942) **2 stained glass windows of Bon Pasteur and the Virgin and Child (20th century) **A stained glass window consecrated at Saint Joseph (1920) *The Church of Saint-Pierre of Nonneville at 54 Rue de Reims contains: **10 geometric stained glass windows (20th century) **An abstract stained glass window (20th century)


Parks

Aulnay has 153 hectares of green space of which these are the main ones: *Sausset departmental Park traversing both Aulnay-sous-Bois and Villepinte (200 hectares - the 2nd largest in the department) *Robert Ballanger communal park (29 hectares), with a lookout where the
Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "' ...
and Sacré-Cœur can be seen *Dumont Park, avenue Dumont *Gainville Park, park of swans, rue de Sevran (7.6 hectares), next to the ''Gainville House'' - the oldest house in Aulnay (dating to the 17th century) *Émile Zola Park, boulevard Émile Zola (4.4 hectares) *Faure Park, circular road (9 hectares) *Bigottini Park, avenue de la Croix-Blanche *Honoré Daumier Rose Garden, avenue du Maréchal juin (8 hectares and 2,500 rose plants) *Banks of the Canal de l'Ourcq *Serres municipales, rue Auguste Renoir


Facilities


Cultural Facilities

*The Jacques Prévert Theatre and cinema is a multi-cultural centre that offers diverse live entertainment programming for both adults and young audiences. It can accommodate 100,000 spectators annually and offers throughout the year: theatre, dance, songs, and opera. It is also a cinema. The two theatres (the largest of which accommodates 700 seats) show twenty films per month. *The CAP is a cultural facility dedicated to contemporary music and all kinds of music from around the world. It is a venue with a theatre with a capacity of over 500 people and holds about four to five concerts per month. It also offers education through 17 workshops for instrumental practice at every level: percussion, string instruments, wind instruments, guitar etc. as well as in vocal technique and gospel singing. Supporting young talent is also one of the objectives of the CAP. Three rehearsal studios and a resource centre are available for amateur musicians to help them realize their projects, information on contracts, intermittent status of the show, the addresses of places to play, and many other functions. *The Conservatory of Music and Dance is a departmental branch (CRD) which offers individual and group courses for children from the age of 4. It is possible to choose from: Accordion, Viola, Bassoon, Clarinet, Harpsichord, Bass, Horn, Flute, Guitar, Harp, Oboe, Piano, Percussion, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Violin, and Cello. *The Dance Centre of Galion welcomes and supports youth in their artistic activities with three rehearsal studios, work experience, and regular courses. It is recognized as a Centre of Resources for Amateur Dancing Practice in Ile-de-France. To promote dance in all its forms it organizes meetings between different experiences, expressions, and supports the creation of young choreographers. *The Claude Monet School of Art is one of the largest non-degree schools in France. It is open to children and adults. Twelve teachers educate nearly 800 apprentice artists every year and introduce techniques from different artistic disciplines to them: drawing, painting, printmaking, tapestry, photography, ceramics, sculpture, cartoon, graphic design, and art history. Their teaching mission is completed by the design, organization, and presentation of exhibitions promoting the encounter between the public and works of art. *The CREA is a unique arts educational structure in France. It is established at the Jacques Prévert theatre and plans to build a centre in Vieux Pays. Its director, Didier Grosjman, and his team have realized many projects with schools, colleges, autistic children, students, and teachers. Four "permanent" courses have been offered since its inception 25 years ago: **''L'éveil'' (Awakening) for children between 7–8 years old **''avant-scène'' (Forestage) for those 8 to 11 years old **''chœur de scène'' (choir stage) for children 10–18 years who play at the Opéra Bastille and Opéra de Vichy **''Créa'tures'', the choir of young adults. *5 libraries and a Mediabus: **Dumont library, Boulevard du General Gallieni **Guillaume Apollinaire Library, rue Turgot **Alphonse Daudet Library, rue du Hameau **Jules Verne Library, rue du Limousin **Elsa Triolet Library, Saturn Street **A Sound library, rue Roger Contensin


Cultural events and festivals

In 1981 and 1982, Aulnay-sous-Bois was a stage town for the 68th and 69th
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
during the 10th stage ( Le Mans-Aulnay-sous-Bois) in 1982 and for the 20th stage in 1982 ( Sens-Aulnay-sous-Bois). Every winter an outdoor skating rink (600 metres square in 2006-2007) is installed at the Vieux Pays Farm. Every Easter Monday there is a Spring Fair that combines antiques, a flea market, and a garage sale. It brings together about 1,500 exhibitors between ''Vieux Pays'' and the ''Place du General Leclerc''. The Jacques Prévert Theatre and cinema stages ''Les Panoramiques'' festival in May - a festival of artistic practices for amateurs. It unites for one week different theatrical companies of children, adolescents, and adults who present their creations on stage. Every year in November is the Aulnay All Blues festival. In early June there is the Festival of Towns in Flower and Cycling in Gainville (Parc des Cygnes) Park. A ''Festival of Military Music'' is scheduled on the second Saturday of June. Groups from several European countries are invited. In the morning a parade is held in the city from Dumont Park followed by an outdoor concert at Dumont Park. In the afternoon there is a parade from the Vieux Pays Farm and a concert in the Pierre Scohy gymnasium. The Festival of the
Canal de l'Ourcq The Canal de l'Ourcq is a long canal in the Île-de-France region (greater Paris) with 10 locks. It was built at a width of but was enlarged to 3.7 m (12 ft), which permitted use by more pleasure boats. The canal begins at Port-au ...
is held in mid-June between the Pavilions-sous-Bois port and the Jardins Perdus Gateway. The traditional ''Festival of the Tree'' takes place for two days in early November at Dumont Park. There are organized exhibitions and workshops for children focused around trees, nature, and wildlife. The adventure trail from tree to tree is free for all. The festival of hip-hop, ' (A Hip Hop Organization), is organized by the ''Centre de Danse du Galion'' in partnership with the Jacques Prévert Theatre and cinema and the current music scene ''Le Cap'' in December. Over the past 10 years it has brought together the ''avante-garde'' of the French hip-hop scene. The ''Battle VNR'', every last Sunday of May, is a break-dance hip-hop event which has been running since 2002. The city hosted the 2012 Boxing Championship of France. ''Les Futuriales'' Festival takes place every year in Dumont Park since 2010. It has for its theme literature of the imagination and has more than 60 authors in one day. It is co-organized by the ''Librarie Folies d'Encre'' and the network of libraries.


Education

Education of very young children: * 6 full-time collective home crèches Public schools:Les écoles
." Aulnay-sous-Bois. Retrieved on September 8, 2016.
* 23 public nursery schools/preschools * 30 public primary schools **At the end of the 2007-2008 year the Bougainville elementary school was closed - ''Le parisien'', edition 93 of 3 September 2007 * 7 public junior high schools ** a project for a 7th school in the south is in progress * 2 public secondary schools ** Lycée polyvalent régional Voillaume ** Lycée Jean Zay Private schools: *1 private preschool elementary, junior and senior high school: Institution l’Espérance *1 private preschool, elementary school and senior high school: Protectorat Saint-Joseph


Health

There are three health facilities in Aulnay-sous-Bois: *The Centre Hospitalier Robert Ballanger: the inter-communal hospital for Aulnay-sous-Bois, Villepinte, and
Sevran Sevran () is a commune in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, northeastern suburbs of Paris, Île-de-France. It is located from the center of Paris. Geography Sevran is located northeast of the Boulevard Périphérique.
(1750 employees). *The René Muret-Bigottini Gerontology Hospital'' straddles the border between Sevran and Aulnay-sous-Bois. *The Clinic of Aulnay'', Private Hospital of east Paris


Sports

*"Coursailles" Olympic Swimming Stadium (up to 2700 people entering per day)Records of entry at the Aulnay-sous-Bois pool in 2007
*8 gymnasiums *Stadiums: **
Velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...
**5 multi-purpose stadiums **2 Sports Complexes **3 tennis complexes


Worship

*Catholic worship: **Church of Saint-Sulpice, Rue de Sevran. **Church of Saint-Pierre de Nonneville, rue de Reims **Church of Saint-Paul of Ambourget, Rue du 8 Mai 1945 **Church of Saint-Jean, gallerie Surcouf **Chapel of Notre-Dame du Coudray, Rue Francis Creno **Church of Saint-Joseph Church (including Christmas and every Sunday at 9:30 am it offers Mass in Polish), avenue de la Croix Blanche. *Protestant worship: Temple of the Reformed Church of France, Boulevard Gourgues. *Muslim worship: **Cultural Association of Muslims of Rose des Vents, rue Auguste Renoir **Cultural Association of Muslims of Aulnay, Rue de l'Esprit **Cultural Association of Muslims of Mitry, Allée des Cyprès *Jewish worship: **Synagogue, Allée du Clermont-Tonnerre **Synagogue, Rue Dupuis


Notable people

*
Amine In chemistry, amines (, ) are compounds and functional groups that contain a basic nitrogen atom with a lone pair. Amines are formally derivatives of ammonia (), wherein one or more hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element wi ...
, singer * Robert Ballanger, politician *
Claude Louis Berthollet Claude Louis Berthollet (, 9 December 1748 – 6 November 1822) was a Savoyard-French chemist who became vice president of the French Senate in 1804. He is known for his scientific contributions to theory of chemical equilibria via the mecha ...
, inventor *
Thomas Bouhail Thomas Bouhail (born 3 July 1986 in Montfermeil, Seine-Saint-Denis) is a French gymnast of Algerian descent. He won a silver medal in vault at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In December 2011, just a few months before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Bouhai ...
, silver medalist in Gymnastics Vaulting (2008) *
Olivier Dacourt Olivier Yohan Dacourt (born 25 September 1974) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is also a former French international and is best known for his spells at English side Leeds United and Italian clubs Roma a ...
, football player for
Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
* Guy Decomble, actor, born on 12 November 1910 * Alou Diarra, Footballer * Boubakary Diarra, footballer at
FC Torino Torino Football Club (), commonly referred to as Torino or simply Toro, is an Italian professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont. They currently play in Serie A. Founded as ''Foot-Ball Club Torino'' in 1906, Torino are among the mos ...
(Italy) *
Nicolas Douchez Nicolas Douchez (born 22 April 1980) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Toulouse In 2005, Douchez signed for Toulouse FC. He played 86 league games for the club before signing with Rennes. Rennes ...
footballer at
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
*
John Dovi John Dovi (born 2 January 1973 in Saint-Maurice, Val-de-Marne, France) is a former French amateur boxer who medaled repeatedly in international competitions. Career He was 7 times French light-heavy champ from 1999 to 2005. In Houston at the 19 ...
, Heavyweight Boxing champion, National coach for the French Boxing Federation * Boukary Dramé footballer at
FC Sochaux FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
* Joachim Ekanga-Ehawa, basketballer at
Paris-Levallois Basket Metropolitans 92 is a French professional basketball club that is based in Levallois-Perret, in the Paris metropolitan area. The club currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the highest-tier level in French basketball. The club was established in 2007 ...
*
Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...
, writer and poet * Francoise Hardy, actress, singer, autobiographer * Jack Harris born Jacques Estevant (1940), composer, French novelist and poet * Jean-Louis Mandengue, Heavyweight Boxing Champion of France *
Aya Nakamura Aya Coco Danioko (; born 10 May 1995), known by her stage name Aya Nakamura ( ), is a French-Malian pop singer. She is best known for her hit song "Djadja". She was born in Bamako, Mali and emigrated to France with her family, growing up in A ...
, singer *
Sefyu Youssef Soukouna (born 20 April 1981 in Goutte d'Or, Paris), better known by his stage name Sefyu (, his first name in ''verlan''), is a French rapper of Senegalese descent. He comes from Aulnay-sous-Bois, a city in the French department of Seine ...
, rapper *
Moussa Sissoko Moussa Sissoko (born 16 August 1989) is a French professional footballer who plays as midfielder for club Nantes and the France national team. He plays as a box-to-box midfielder in the centre of the pitch, and is capable of playing in eit ...
, footballer at
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
and the French National Team *
Saïd Taghmaoui Saïd Taghmaoui (born 19 July 1973) is a French-American actor and screenwriter. One of his major screen roles was that of Saïd in the 1995 French film ''La Haine'', directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Taghmaoui has also appeared in a number of En ...
, film actor * Teddy Tamgho, world champion and world record holder for the indoor triple jump (2010) * Ali Traoré, basketballer at
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne ASVEL Basket, commonly known as ASVEL or sometimes as ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, and also known as LDLC ASVEL for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional basketball team that is located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon ...
* Vald, rapper


Bibliography

* ''Aulnay-sous-Bois, youth of an old country'', Jacques Varin, 1982 * ''Aulnay-Sous-Bois (History of)'' Jules Princet, 1936 (reprint 2004),


See also

*
Communes of the Seine-Saint-Denis department The following is a list of the 40 communes of the Seine-Saint-Denis department of France. Since January 2016, all communes of Seine-Saint-Denis are part of the intercommunality Métropole du Grand Paris {{DEFAULTSORT:Communes Of The Se ...


References


External links


Official website


{{DEFAULTSORT:Aulnaysousbois Communes of Seine-Saint-Denis