La Garenne-Colombes

Coordinates: 48°54′20″N 2°14′40″E / 48.9056°N 2.2445°E / 48.9056; 2.2445
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La Garenne-Colombes
Train station
Train station
Coat of arms of La Garenne-Colombes
Paris and inner ring départements
Paris and inner ring départements
Location of La Garenne-Colombes
Map
La Garenne-Colombes is located in France
La Garenne-Colombes
La Garenne-Colombes
La Garenne-Colombes is located in Île-de-France (region)
La Garenne-Colombes
La Garenne-Colombes
Coordinates: 48°54′20″N 2°14′40″E / 48.9056°N 2.2445°E / 48.9056; 2.2445
CountryFrance
RegionÎle-de-France
DepartmentHauts-de-Seine
ArrondissementNanterre
CantonColombes-2
IntercommunalityGrand Paris
Government
 • Mayor (2022–2026) Monique Raimbault[1][2]
Area
1
1.78 km2 (0.69 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[3]
29,932
 • Density17,000/km2 (44,000/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
92035 /92250
Elevation37–46 m (121–151 ft)
(avg. 41 m or 135 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

La Garenne-Colombes (French pronunciation: [la gaʁɛn kɔlɔ̃b] ) is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9.6 km (6.0 mi) from Notre Dame de Paris, France's kilometre zero.[4]

Name[edit]

The city used to be part of the neighbouring city of Colombes. At this time, before 1910, it was called La Garenne de Colombes, literally "the warren of doves".[5]

The explanation for the city being called "warren" is that it used to be a warren where people would hunt. But this dates back to the French monarchy, in the 18th century and before.

Geography[edit]

La Garenne-Colombes is usually simply called "La Garenne", and nicknamed "petit Neuilly".

Surroundings[edit]

Four towns surround La Garenne-Colombes: Colombes (North), Bois-Colombes (East), Courbevoie (South) and Nanterre (West). The city is quite small compared with the other cities in the Hauts-de-Seine, it is more or less as small as the first arrondissement of Paris. Very close to La Garenne-Colombes are La Défense and the Île de la Jatte island (Bowl Island).

Transportation[edit]

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-Colombes, with a postal address in La Garenne-Colombes). The train has been used there since 1837.

The two stations directly join Paris's most important urban station (Gare Saint-Lazare) in 10 minutes and the largest 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 RATP Bus lines also cross the city: lines 73, 161, 163, 164, 176, 178, 262, 272, 278, 358 and 378.

Two RATP Noctilien night Bus lines cross the city: N24 and N152.

In 2012, the line 2 of the Parisian Tramway 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[edit]

It was named in 1240 as "La Garenne dépendant de Colombes" ("La Garenne depending on Colombes"). After the Bourbon Restoration in 1815, the estate was bought by Peter Urban Sartoris, a Genevois banker who had lived in London for many years. On his death in 1833 it was inherited by his 6 children, who urbanised it and named the rue Sartoris. They sold the last of their interests in 1865.

The commune of La Garenne-Colombes was created on 2 May 1910 by detaching its territory from the commune of Colombes.

Demography[edit]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1911 14,534—    
1921 18,512+2.45%
1926 20,545+2.11%
1931 23,167+2.43%
1936 24,734+1.32%
1946 24,080−0.27%
1954 26,753+1.32%
1962 27,341+0.27%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 26,562−0.48%
1975 24,038−1.42%
1982 20,990−1.92%
1990 21,754+0.45%
1999 24,067+1.13%
2007 27,001+1.45%
2012 28,371+0.99%
2017 29,169+0.56%
Source: EHESS[6] and INSEE (1968-2017)[7]

As the commune's territory is entirely built up, population can only grow if buildings are demolished and replaced by bigger buildings for 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 kilometre (44,000 inhabitants/sq mi).

According to statistics, La Garenne-Colombes is an average city of the Hauts-de-Seine department (Paris region), which is one of the richest places in Europe.

Economy[edit]

La Garenne-Colombes is very close to Paris business center La Défense

The landscape looks like an American CBD (Central Business District). But this is in the suburbs of Paris, which do not look like the downtown Paris districts surrounding the Eiffel Tower or the Champs-Elysées. Paradoxically, the most advanced part of the city of Paris, geographically 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-Seine department. Today, it is mainly a residential city. However, some 1200 business units are there.

Tertiary activity[edit]

A little street near the station

The service industry is paramount in the economy of La Garenne-Colombes. The proximity of La Défense increases this phenomenon. There is:

The arrival of the Tramway in 2012 resulted in a redevelopment of a part of the city, and should bring a new breath of life to the local economy.

Urbanism[edit]

The city[edit]

Bloc of flats, built in 1903

In spite of the proximity of La Défense and Paris which has applied a strong pressure, no big buildings were built in La Garenne. Residential buildings (detached homes and apartment buildings) account for the majority of the building stock in La Garenne-Colombes. Many of these buildings were constructed in the early 1900s. In a large part of the town, new construction is limited to 4 floors.

The neighbourhood of the place de Belgique and National boulevard, which is the entry of La Défense, is being redeveloped.

Green ways[edit]

Eight green ways are in La Garenne-Colombes, exactly:

  • two public squares
  • two gardens
  • four parks

Commonly known places[edit]

Fountain plaza
  • Place de la Liberté (Freedom square), known 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)

Politics and administration[edit]

List of mayors[edit]

List of successive mayors of La Garenne-Colombes
In office Name Party Ref.
June 1910 December 1933 Jean Bonal
January 1934 November 1943 Charles Jubert
April 1944 October 1944 Maurice Godaux
October 1944 May 1945 André Crimet
May 1945 October 1947 Gaston Sourrisseau
October 1947 February 1955 Louis Jean
March 1955 September 1971 René Guest
September 1971 February 1975 Albert Fabbi
February 1975 10 March 2001 Max Catrin
11 March 2001 8 July 2022 Philippe Juvin
9 July 2022 Incumbent Monique Raimbault LR [8]

Twin towns - sister cities[edit]

La Garenne-Colombes is twinned with:[9]

Education[edit]

Ernest Renan primary school

The commune has four public preschools and five public elementary schools.[10]

  • Primary schools: René Guest, André Marsault, Ernest Renan (built in 1905), Sainte Geneviève, Sagot Voltaire
  • Junior high school: Les Vallées
  • Junior high school: Champs-Philippe (previously named after Kléber Haedens, the name was revoked by the Hauts-de-Seine general council due to Haedens having been a nazi collaborationist)
  • Vocational senior high school: Lycée La Tournelle

Students wishing to attend a general high school may go to Lycée Albert-Camus in Bois-Colombes or Lycée Paul-Lapie in Courbevoie.[11]

The city owns a castle in Normandy where students are sometimes sent for class-holidays.

Life in La Garenne-Colombes[edit]

Saint-Urbain Church from a little street, downtown

According to statistics published by the Figaro newspaper, La Garenne-Colombes is the Hauts-de-Seine's city with the lowest crime rate, without forgetting that the Hauts-de-Seine is a very quiet part of the Paris region.

Personalities[edit]

Born in La Garenne-Colombes[edit]

Lived in La Garenne-Colombes[edit]

Died in La Garenne-Colombes[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Le maire : Monique Raimbault". Ville de La Garenne-Colombes. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  2. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 6 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Paris point zero". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Histoire et patrimoine". La Garenne-Colombes (in French). Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet La Garenne-Colombes, EHESS (in French).
  7. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  8. ^ Damecour, Anne-Sophie. ""Une évidence que ce soit elle" : Monique Raimbault, nouvelle maire de La Garenne-Colombes, succède à Philippe Juvin". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  9. ^ "Jumelages". lagarennecolombes.fr (in French). La Garenne-Colombes. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  10. ^ "Les écoles communales." La Garenne-Colombes. Retrieved on September 7, 2016.
  11. ^ "Lycées." La Garenne-Colombes. Retrieved on September 7, 2016. "Les jeunes Garennois sont rattachés à deux lycées d'enseignement général, situés l'un à Courbevoie (Lycée Paul-Lapie), l'autre à Bois-Colombes (Lycée Albert-Camus)."

External links[edit]