Aulnay-sous-Bois


Aulnay-sous-Bois is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department in the Île-de-France region in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aulnaysiens or Aulnaysiennes.
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, 1 km east of Le Bourget Airport, and 5 km south-west of Charles de Gaulle Airport. 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 in the west which joins the A1 autoroute in the north. Route nationale 2 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 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.
Distribution of urban zones is:

Rose-des-Vents

When the construction of Clos Saint-Lazare at Stains 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:
The commune is traversed by the main railway line from Paris to Soissons, Laon, and Hirson which serves the Aulnay-sous-Bois railway station where all buses and semi-direct services of and the Transilien Paris to Crépy-en-Valois 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 between Aulnay-sous-Bois to Bondy has been replaced by a Tram-train that takes the same route and allows connection to the and. Two branches are planned: the first to Clichy-sous-Bois and Montfermeil 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 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 
In 2023 a station on line 16 in the Grand Paris Express 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.

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" 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. The airport can be reached by or by the A1 and A3 autoroutes.

Toponymy

"Aulnay" is a common French toponym and may derive from the Medieval Latin alnetum meaning "alder 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. 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, becoming Aulnay-lès-Bondy in 1787. The commune was renamed Aulnay-sous-Bois on 5 January 1903 in reference to the ancient Forest of Bondy. Other nearby commune names also refer to the same forest.

History

The area was originally settled around 6000 BC. Between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC, farmers living around a "villa" belonging to Sabinus - the Savigny Farm. Two places independent from the parish 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 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. This service stopped in 1849. In 1875, the French Northern Railway opened a station on the new Paris to Soissons 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 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. 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 .

Administrative changes

Until 1787, the parish of Aulnay was part of the province of Île-de-France, 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. In 1790 Aulnay was part of the department of Seine-et-Oise, of the canton and district of Gonesse
In 1801 Aulnay became Aulnay-lès-Bondy and was part of the arrondissement of Pontoise. In 1903 Aulnay-lès-Bondy became Aulnay-sous-Bois. The first Canton of Aulnay-sous-Bois was founded in 1922 and included Blanc-Mesnil, Sevran, 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 and the arrondissement of Pontoise, was attached to the new department of Seine-Saint-Denis, 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.

Mayorshttp://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=1387 [List of Mayors of France]

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.
FromToNamePartyPosition
17871791François Noël Chartier
17911792Christophe Bazureau
17921795Pierre Coqueret
17951798Louis Delacourt
17981799Louis Boileau
17991800Pierre Andelle
18001808François Chartier
18081830Auguste Fançois de Gourgues
18301833Félix Fessard
18331840Jean Benoît Ciquard
18401844François Jérôme Langlois
18441860Louis Antoine Dalleux
18661893Dominique Armand de Gourgues
18931896Marie Alexandre Depre
18961905Claude Buchet
19051919Isidore Nerat
19191924Jules Princent
19251928Albert Libs
19281930Arthur Chevalier
19301932Charles Dordain
19321935Louis Poupon
19351939Maurice Nilès

;Mayors from 1939
FromToNamePartyPosition
19391941Henri Fourquez
19411944Charles Drocourt
19441944Jean Perlis
19441944Narcisse Renaudot
19441945Maurice NilèsPCF
19451947Pierre ScohyPCF
19471959Fernand HerbautSFIO
19591964Robert CourtatSFIO
19641965Maurice CadotSFIO
19651971Louis SolbèsPCF
19711977Robert BallangerPCF
19771983Pierre ThomasPCF
19831983Gilbert Seron
19832003Jean-Claude AbriouxUMP
20032008Gérard GaudronUMP
20082014Gérard SéguraPS
2014incumbentBruno BeschizzaLR

Demographics

According to INSEE, 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, much higher than the national average of €15,000. Furthermore, the north has a high number of HLM. There is even a political divide, with Aulnay-Nord Canton sending a Socialist representative to the Council-General for the Seine-Saint-Denis Department, but Aulnay-Sud a conservative.

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, and Overseas Chinese.
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 Citroen 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:
In 2010 the commune had 82,120 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.
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 factory, a L'Oréal 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 and PSA Peugeot Citroën being located there. There are concerns, however, resulting from the departure of Xerox France 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

The city itself employs nearly 2,400 people and thus constitutes one of the largest employers in the town.

Automotive production

In May 1973 it was reported that the first Citroën DS had emerged from the production line at Citroën's :fr:Usine PSA d'Aulnay-sous-Bois|new plant at Aulnay. The plant has subsequently produced various Citroën and Peugeot models and has on occasion hit the headlines as a focus of industrial strife. On 12 July 2012 PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it will permanently close the Aulnay-sous-Bois plant due to overcapacity.
Aulnay is also the site of the subterranean :fr:Conservatoire Citroën|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:
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 commune has one religious building that is registered as a historical monument:
Other churches contain items registered as historical objects:
Aulnay has 153 hectares of green space of which these are the main ones:

Cultural Facilities

In 1981 and 1982, Aulnay-sous-Bois was a stage town for the 68th and 69th Tour de France during the 10th stage in 1982 and for the 20th stage in 1982.
Every winter an outdoor skating rink 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 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 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, H2O, 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:
Public schools:
Private schools:
There are three health facilities in Aulnay-sous-Bois:

Worship