Lille
Lille ( Flemish Ryssel in , Rijsel in Dutch) is more the big city of the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Préfecture of the Northern and Chef-lieu of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Lille with 226.815 inhabitants, is the main city of Lille Métropole Urban community cash 1,2 million inhabitants with the towns of Roubaix, Tourcoing and Villeneuve-with Ascq. It also belongs to vast a Conurbation which extends in Belgium with the towns of Mouscron, Courtrai, Tournai and Menin, adding up 1,8 million inhabitants at least. Its name as former French ( Isle ), as in Flemish ( Ryssel , Flemish Rijsel in modern or Dutch modern), comes from a island on the Deûle. Lille and its surroundings belong to the historical area of the Romance Flanders, old territories of the Comté of Flanders but not forming part of the linguistic surface of the Flemish : Lille was always a town of Romance language.
Geography
Lille and its surroundings belong to the historical area of the Romance Flanders, i.e. of old territories of the Comté of Flanders but not forming part of the linguistic surface of the Flemish , contrary to Dunkirk. Thus, contrary to a sometimes widespread legendary idea, Lille was thus never a town of Flemish language, but of Romance dialects.
Relief and geology
The town of Lille is located around 20 meters of altitude in a widening of the valley of Deûle. To this place, the last outcrops chalky (Sénonien and Turonien) of the natural area of the Mélantois plunge to the west under the Weppes, and, in north, under the Barœul, two areas of moderate reliefs developed in sand landénien and clay yprésienne. The recent sedimentary cover (Pleistocene) is omnipresent, in the form of Lœss on the slopes or of Alluvion S in bottom of valleys.
Hydrography
The Deûle is a small river with the low flow lost in a broad valley, very strongly anthropized as of the Moyen-âge. The multiple states of its drains and installation, in a context of relief very little marked, make difficult the perception of its layout original.
Construction material resources
The Lœss fed many brickyards which provided the city, until in the second part of the 20th century. The chalk, called locally stone of Lezennes was largely exploited for construction, in underground careers (with the periphery of Lille, mainly with Loos and Emmerin, the south, and Lezennes, south-east). These old careers are materialized in the fields by enclosed openings (the catiches ). The chalk, cheap material, were traditionally used mixes some with brick (creating the red-bars ).
Climatology
One meets in Lille the principal features of the oceanic moderate climates: the seasonal thermal amplitudes are low, precipitations are not negligible in any season. The winters are soft there and the summers frais.
- Station of reference: Lille Lesquin Weppes Mélantois (47 m of altitude)
- Observation station: Lille (52 m)
- August in Lille is the best month, with less than 9 days average of rain.
History of Lille
See also: History of Lille
Capital of Flandres Frenchwomen, Lille would have been founded in 640 by Lydéric. It appears in the Charte S only starting from 1054. The current Site of the city conceals traces of former occupation (Préhistoire, Gallo-Roman time). It carried can be the name of Tréola (Latin treillised vineyard) at the time Carolingian. The city develops thanks to its privileged site of crossing of the Deûle, and to its relations with the other cities of prosperous the Comté of Flanders. A fair with cloth is founded at the 12th century.
The city has a tradition of armed resistance. It is the most besieged city France. Its gunners constituted a very respected brotherhood.
Lille is joined together first once at the royal field of 1304 with 1369, after the Bataille of Mons-in-Pévèle. On this date, it becomes one of the three capitals of the possessions of the duke of Burgundy, Philippe II Bold the. It passes in 1477 to the Habsbourg.
At the 16th century, the city is touched by the wars of religion: the first repression in 1555, then war of the Hurlus (Protestant rebels). As from 1560; they try to take Lille in 1580 and 1582. 17th century, the city is taken by the French Armies in 1667 by Vauban in eight days (20 July 27th) simultaneously with Douai, and fastening is officialized in 1668, with the treated of Aachen. D' Artagnan is governor of the city. Vauban strengthens the city and governor in 1668 is named by it. In 1708, the Citadelle capitulates at the time of the War of succession of Spain, after the battle of Wattignies. The city remains until 1713 with the hands of the European coalition. At the beginning of the 19th century, the city is industrialized: the continental Blocus stimulates its Textile industry and the city passes from: 53000 inhabitants in 1800 with: 200000 in 1891. In 1896, Gustave Delory is the first socialist mayor of France.
During the First World War, the city is occupied by the Germans of October 1914 in October 1918. During this period it is endeuillée and to some extent destroyed by the violent explosion of the ammunition dump known as “of the eighteen bridges”, whose noise will be heard until the medium of the Netherlands. It is in Lille that was set up the principal network of information at the back the German lines. Created in at the end of 1914, it was directed by Louise de Bettignies. A monument Lillois pays homage to the shot of this resistance network. In 1929, the city is touched hard by the economic crisis: a third of the Inhabitants of Lille is in misery in 1935 .
After the Second world war, the city is rebuilt on its traditional industries (of which the textile) and will have to face the industrial crises as from the years 1970. In the years of crisis, the architectural heritage is abused. The years 1990 will have to be waited so that the Inhabitants of Lille become aware of the evil carried out and recover to promote their inheritance.
In the years 1990, the city is modernized (Euralille, Northern LGV etc) and plays of its geographical position to try to impose itself like turntable commercial between the England, the Bénélux and the France.
Districts of Lille
See also: urban Development of Lille
Contrary to the majority of the medieval cities, Lille did not develop in a circular way around a hyper-center. It is presented rather in the form of a mosaic of districts, with each one an aspect and a clean dynamism. The Vieux-Lille is only one of them, largely excentré towards north. The comprehension and the reading of the urban screen require some topographic and historical reference marks.
The disadvantaged districts correspond particularly to a crescent extending to the South and the West from the city. The districts of Mills, Suburb of Béthune and Lille-South are classified free zones urban and lodging approximately 15% of the population of the city. These districts tend to stagnate in spite of the efforts of the municipality.
The districts of the Vieux-Lille cheese, Wazemmes and Saint-Maurice Pellevoisin know a particularly positive evolution. The reasons of these evolutions are quite different. One can quote mainly the beauty and the historical richness for the Vieux-Lille cheese, the promptness of community life and artistic for Wazemmes and the proximity of new commercial infrastructures and transport (Euralille, Gare Lille-Europe) for Saint-Maurice Pellevoisin.
Demography
Lille is the principal city of a vast transborder conurbation. Lille as an isolated commune is a European city of very average size. But its conurbation, transborder, does of them one of the most populated urban areas France and of Belgium.
The city
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Since 1977, the population of the town of Hellemmes enters the total of the population.
- Since 2000, the population of the town of Lome is entered in the total of the population.
Conurbation
Lille is located at the south of a vast transborder conurbation. According to the Transborder atlas of INSEE, the unit formed by the transborder agglomeration inhabitant of Lille includes/understands approximately 1 million inhabitants French side and 1,2 million inhabitants if one integrates the sowing of Belgian side cities such as Mouscron, Comines etc… the multipolar agglomeration to which belonged Lille is the fourth French agglomeration (by its population) behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseilles. It also belongs to a vast conurbation which extends in Belgium with the towns of Mouscron, Courtrai, Tournai and Menin, adding up more than 1,8 million inhabitants However, for the European Union, Lille is the second French urban unit, far behind Paris, but clearly in front of Marseilles and Lyon (see tables of the French economy, INSEE, 2005). Lille would be indeed the 21st urban unit in Europe, Paris being with the second rank, after Essen - classification all the more remarkable as it distinguishes the urban unit from Douai-Valencians, but whose Inhabitants of Lille are not inevitably aware, " competitions of clocher" , with Tourcoing and Roubaix, for example, remaining sharp).Administration
Town hall
See also: List of the mayors of Lille
With the advent of the common in 1235, thanks to a charter granted by the countess Jeanne of Flanders, the mayeurs and the aldermen were selected with each All Saints' day by four police chiefs appointed by the sovereign .
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| March 18th 2001 || - || Martine Aubry || PS || Vice-president of Lille Metropolis Urban community
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| 1973 || 2001 || Pierre Mauroy || PS || Prime Minister (May 1981 - July 1984)
Senator of North (since 1992)
Président of the Urban community of Lille (since 1989)|
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Extension of Lille
Enlarging of the city
Lille extended while amalgamating with common neighbors, on several occasions: Since 1970, the various mayors of Lille sought voluntary and concerted fusion communes bordering. It is acted in fact of the project of Large-Lille, project which is based on a simple report, and which will constantly be taken again by Augustin Laurent, Pierre Mauroy then Martine Aubry: Lille, capital of North, weigh only 200.000 inhabitants for 2.500 hectares.To affirm its role of leader, to be in capacity to develop and to involve in its wake the whole of the metropolis, Lille must increase. In 1966-1967, the proposal of Augustin Laurent includes/understands Ronchin, Lezennes, Hellemmes and Lome, the mayors disallowed all the proposal. In 1976, Pierre Mauroy proposes a association-fusion with five common neighbors: Ronchin, Hellemmes, Lezennes, Mons-in-Baroeul and Villeneuve-in Ascq. Seule Hellemmes accepts and in April 1977, the bringing together is officialized. Martine Aubry proposes an association in 2000 at the town of Lome, and on February 22nd, 2000, the Council of State gives green light to association. Lille exceeds finally the 200.000 inhabitants. Since aggrandissement seems stopped, the absorption of new communes requires from now on a ratification by referendum of the populations concerned.
During the process of fusion association by agreement of the two mayors in 2000, the mayors of the 12 common neighborhoods to denounce the absence of participative democracy carried out referendums within their communes on a possible fusion with Lille. The highest rate for a fusion was with the Madeleine with 16% of favorable votes.
Another subject of controversy: two last fusions are denounced as being in fact an act of gerry mandering , namely a skilful recutting of the electoral map intended to maintain the city on the left and to avoid the risks of transfer on the right due to the relative gentrification of Lille during the last years.
Extension of the influence of the city
Under the action of Pierre Mauroy in his various functions (mayor, senator of North, chair urban community), the influence of Lille considerably increased within the agglomeration then department, area and beyond. Shown lillo-centrism by its detractors, Lille is today the seat of many institutions:
- the Lille Chamber of commerce - Metropolis, born in 1967 of the fusion of the chambers of commerce of Lille, with those of Roubaix and Tourcoing, although the chamber of commerce of Tourcoing was more important.
- the new hotel of area
- the district council
- the seat of Lille Metropolis Urban community
- the seat of the transborder inter-commune standing Conference, bases future eurodistrict, whose Lille wants to be to be the decisional center.
However a confusion exists between the influence of Lille and that of Lille Métropole, this one is reinforced by the will of the urban community to communicate only under the name of Lille Métropole (or even of very short Lille ) the projects to which it gives its support. One can quote as follows:
- In 1997, the candidature of North for the Olympic Games of summer of 2004 under the name “plays in Lille”
- the cultural operation entitled " Lille, European capital of the culture" who extends in all the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and until in known Belgium under the name of “Lille 2004”. This operation since became biennial, whose name in 2006 is “Lille 3000”.
- the museum of modern art of Villeneuve-in Ascq was renamed in “Musée of Modern art Lille Métropole”.
- the professional sporting clubs of the agglomeration had to join Lille Métropole with their name.
List cantons
Lille is divided into 9 cantons:- the Canton of Lille-Center is made of part of Lille (21 959 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-Is is made of part of Lille, of which the common partner of Hellemmes (30 154 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-North is made of part of Lille and commune of the Madeleine (Northern) (30 354 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-North-Is is made of part of Lille and commune of Mons-in-Barœul (50 878 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-West is made of part of Lille and communes of Lambersart, Inlay-lez-Lille, Saint-Andre-lez-Lille and Wambrechies (63 270 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-South is made of part of Lille (44 380 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-South-Is is made of part of Lille and communes of Annoy-Thumesnil, Lezennes, and Ronchin (41 812 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lille-South-West is made of part of Lille (42 135 inhabitants)
- the Canton of Lome is made of part of Lille (corresponding to the common partner of Lome) and of the communes of Beaucamps-Ligny, Englos, Ennetières-in-Weppes, Erquinghem-the-Dryness, Escobecques, Hallennes-lez-Haubourdin, Maisnil, Radinghem-in-Weppes, Sequedin (40 311 inhabitants)
Military life
The modern military life of Lille is especially marked by the presence of the 43 {{E}} IH and of the Fast Corps of Reaction France within the Citadelle of Lille.
Lille is and was a garrison town with many barracks and has a military hospital
Famous inhabitants of Lille
See also: famous Inhabitants of Lille
Lille saw being born and growing Charles de Gaulle whose native house, located in the Lille old man, is currently a museum. The General Louis Faidherbe, administrator of Senegal, was also born has Lille.
The scientist Louis Pasteur was born with (Dole (Franche-Comté) was appointed professor and senior of the Faculty of Science of the city. A statue is devoted to him and centers it Pasteur of Lille east one of most important of France after that of Paris. Nearer to us, Martine Aubry is one of the important personalities of the French socialist party and occupies the function of mayor of Lille since March 2001. The actor Philippe Noiret, the humorist Maxime as well as the media high-speed motorboats Nicolas Hulot, Bruno Masure, Steevy Boulay, is originating in Lille.
Economy
See also: Economy of the district of Lille
Companies
Branch of industry and aspect of the companies (12/2004)Employment
The town of Lille as profits from many public employment as it is public office of State (mainly in the decentralized services of the State gathered within the administrative city, one of three public faculties of the city is still located at Lille…), the hospital public office (the regional hospital located at Lille-South is the first employer of the area), the territorial public function (general advice and regional), or parapublic (regional seat of the SNCF, EDF, Banque de France, INSEE, INPI…). The major part of this public employment are gathered in the district Saint-Saver.
Primary sector
Lille is within an agglomeration still strongly agricultural. During its history, Lille had on its territory of many arable lands, but its development led it to absorb during the 19th century the close villages to develop its industry: The absorption of Wazemmes and Lille-Mills resulted in a transformation of these agricultural villages into industrial district. Agriculture is pushed back then beyond the fortifications, i.e. on what is today Lille-South, Fives, Hellemmes, and holy Maurice Pellevoisin. The industrial rise of the 20th century will touch initially the agricultural properties of Fives and Hellemmes, then Saint Maurice. Real pressure as from 1930, then that of the post-war period will make disappear those from Lille-South and those of Pellevoisin where the last orchard will be shaven in 1964. Of this past some old markets remain (market of Wazemmes, market of Solférino and market to sugars), and in the middle of the Lille old man of the street names which pay homage to the old large slaughter-houses of Lille now shaven.
Secondary industry
Lille affirms its industrial calling as of the 16th century, particularly in the textile field with its spinning mills of Coton. At the beginning of the 19th century, Lille benefits from the advent of the Steam engine and the important coal layers of the area to develop an textile industry (Wazemmes, Lille-Mills) and mechanics (Fives, Hellemmes, Whitewood).The oil crisis of 1973 was accompanied in the area by a coal crisis. This affected the mechanical engineering industry such Fives Cail (8000 employees on Fives). To this first crisis came to be added that of the French textile. It remains today of many traces of this recent past:
- Textile: The city which sheltered in many districts (Wazemmes, Lille Moulins, Hellemmes) of the spinning mills knew in 1990 the closing of the last, the Mossley spinning mill located at Hellemmes. Today some textile waste lands knew a beautiful reconversion: the Faculty of Law of Lille II, the House madness of Wazemmes, the theater of Prato.
- Brewery: The breweries and their head offices (repurchase or bankruptcy) disappeared from the city, but there remain traces about it, in particular the construction of the Maison madness of Lille Moulin in an old brewery.
Tertiary sector
To face the decline of the industrial activities, Lille sought to develop tertiary sector, in particular under the impulse of Pierre Mauroy which supported the service road of Lille by the network of lines at high speed and launched the project of business district Euralille. Lille has been on the way of this reconversion for now a few decades.Lille is the seat of the Regional court of trade and industry of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
Lille is the seat of the Chamber of commerce and industry of Lille Métropole. It manages the river port, the third of France, and the airport of Lille-Lesquin like several schools of higher formation of which CFA.
Finance and insurance
At the end of the 19th century, the rise of the city brought the creation of many Banque S mutualists. Today, three of them are major actors of the regional economy. It is of the Bank Scalbert-Dupont (group CIC), of the Mutual credit North-Europe (Mutual credit group) and about the Crédit du Nord. Since many regional managements were established in Lille, sometimes in an important way as the LCL which made build a tower with Euralille, district where the Northern Savings bank France Europe (resulting from the fusion of the cases from Flandres Hainaut and Pas-de-Calais decided in 2006) will inaugurate its own tower in 2007.The company Fat-Savoye, founded in Lille in 1907, is the first european company of broking of insurance and reinsurance.
Tourism
Lille seeks to get rid of its reputation of industrial town, by an important work of handing-over in value of its historical quarters and the return of cultural initiatives, in particular during the last decade of the 20th century. At that time, the cultural life suffered from the disappearance of the festivals of Lille (kind of carnival being held traditionally in June) and of the long closing for work of the Palais of the Art schools of Lille.Thanks to the development of the Vieux-Lille cheese in the years 1980 and 1990, and that of the Citadel to the beginning of the year 2000, the inheritance of the city was found with the height of the stake. Lille, profiting from its excellent service road, then attracted a growing number of visitors, quasi exclusively for short stays, thanks to its reputation of young and opened city.
The launching of the project Lille 2004, Capital European of the culture, was one of the events releases of becoming of Lille like tourist city, label which it obtains in 2001. With its 800 000 people come for the inauguration from Lille 2004, the city knew to show that it could attract crowd with an event of great width. The municipality wanted to prolong this dash by transforming the operation into biennial with topics: Lille 2004 made come Shanghai to Lille, in 2006, Lille 3000 imports Bombay, and in 2009, it is Eastern Europe and power station which are programmed.
Beside cultural tourism, the city also developed important tourism of businesses and professional living rooms. Lille Large-Palate accommodates very great congresses today. A casino must be inaugurated in the same district in 2008.
Seek
Three poles of competitiveness are established on Lille:- Nutrition, Health, Longevity which are based on the site Eurasanté (Whitewood), the CHR and the institute Pasteur
- I Trans which is pressed partly on the schools of engineer de Lille and railway industry inhabitant of Lille (but mainly those of Valencians) and the European Agency of the rail located at Euralille
- Industrie of the trade which is based on the culture of the remote sale of the Northern slope Is and of the faculty of Lille 2 remotely trades (based also in Roubaix)
Transport and infrastructures
Lille has a privileged geographical location at the European level. An important grid system developed and makes an important European crossroads today of it, particularly at the level road and railway and, to a lesser extent, harbor and airport.At the urban level, Lille has of a peripheral and a relatively dense network of fast tracks connecting the majority of the communes of the agglomeration. Transport in commun runs (subway, bus and tram) is well developed but, as in the majority of the metropolises, has the disadvantage of being mainly in “star”, polarized around Lille.
Public transport
See also: Public transport inhabitant of Lille
The agglomeration inhabitant of Lille profits from a dense grid system directed by Transpole. Two lines of the VALLEY, constituting the network of the automatic subway longest in world (45 km), serve the main cities to the Belgian border. Two lines of Tramway (22 km) also make it possible to join Roubaix and Tourcoing from the stations of Lille. Lastly, a vast network of bus supplements the offer in particular in the districts as the Vieux-Lille where it remains difficult to build an underground line for geological reasons. The town hall of Lille decided into 2005 to create lines of bus at high-speed, the “Town ones”. These buses, the clean corridors, will make it possible to ensure an high banc of transport following the example system Teor of Rouen, by supplementing the offer of the subway. These lines also ensure a finer grid of inhabitant of Lille transport and profit from Moonlight program the “”, which ensures a service of night until 0:30.
Lille Métropole Urban community thinks of a project of Tram-train which would use the railway lines of the agglomeration to intensify the interurban connections and to make it possible the metropolis to obtain a grid system to the height of its ambitions.
Railway network
Lille has two stations: Station of Lille - Flandres, dedicated to the regional traffic and towards Paris and the Belgium and the Station of Lille - Europe, dedicated to the national and international connections.
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Lille is at 58 minutes of Paris via Northern TGV, in 2004 traffic TGV represented more than six million passengers.
- Lille is at 35 minutes of Brussels by TGV/Eurostar
- Lille is to 1 hour 20 of London by Eurostar since November 14th, 2007.
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Lille is at 2 hours 30 of Liege in Intercity via the Walloon dorsal whose Lille is one of the termini
- Lille is to 1 hours 45 of Antwerp in Intercity via the Flemish dorsal whose Lille is one of the termini
The frontage of the station Lille Flandres is the frontage of the first Gare of the North which was dismounted and gone up in Lille.
Highway network
Lille is located at the crossing of five highway axes:- A1 : Lille - Arras - Paris/Rheims - Lyon
- A27: Lille - Turned - Brussels/Liege - Germany
- A23: Lille - Valencian
- A25: Lille - Dunkirk - Calais - England
- A22: Lille - Antwerp - Netherlands
The highways around Lille are free. More precisely, A25, A22, A23 and A27 are entirely free. A1 is free until Arras.
The project of highway A24, having to connect Lille to Amiens is the object of controversies between partisans and opponents of such an axis. First asserting of its utility as an axis of unloading of A1, seconds blaming his ecological impact.
Overhead grid
The Airport of Lille - Lesquin is accessible since the center town in fifteen minutes. It is about the 12th French airport of many passengers:- approximately 970.000 passengers in 2001
- nearly 873.000 passengers in 2003
- nearly 848.000 passengers in 2004
The railway network and highway makes it possible to join the large international airports located in the close capitals London, Brussels, Paris and Amsterdam.
River system
Lille is the 3rd French river port after those of Paris and Strasbourg. The network of the Deûle is connected on the regional river system of more than 680 inland km of waterways of which 241 km with large gauge (share example the river axis Dunkirk - Lille Valencian). Deûle is open on the Europe north via the Scarpe and the the Scheldt (towards the Belgium and the Netherlands), and open on the international one, via the Lys (towards Dunkirk and Calais).The wearing of Lille is a multimode platform: river, railway and road. It has a terminal of container which ensures a traffic of more than 80 000 EVP per annum.
Life coed
See also: List of the schools of Lille
At the 16th century Douai accommodates faculties under the impulse of the Spanish Monarque S. In the second part of the 19th century, faculties are moved in Lille in order to compete with recently inaugurated faculties Catholique S of Lille (1875). Three catholic faculties (right, letter and science) federate in 1877 under the name of catholic Université of Lille and settles in the middle of the district Vauban Esquermes. Always presents in its historical buildings, it includes/understands six faculties today: letter S and Social sciences, Right, Science S and Technical S, Medicine and Theology, economy and Management. In parallel, public faculties are federate to become the university of Lille, it is established within the district Lille-Center where it joined the antenna inhabitant of Lille of 3Ecole Nationale Sup3erieure of arts and trades, located boulevard Louis XIV. Many buildings are built to accommodate the students between the boulevard Jean-Baptiste Lebas and the street Jeanne d' Arc. The events of May 1968 involve in Lille as in the remainder of the country, a removal of the university towards the suburbs, and in 1971, the State creates starting from the university three centered public entities each one around a specific pole: Lille I, Lille II and Lille III.
However during the last decade of the 20th century, a partial return started: the Institut of administration of the companies dependant on Lille 1 is established in the district of the Vieux-Lille, in 1991 the Institut of political studies of Lille joined the district of Moulins accompanied by the faculty of Droit. In 1999 the agglomeration of Lille was, after Paris, Lyon and Toulouse, the 4th student's pole of France with more 85 000 students, according to the data of the census carried out by INSEE. In 2005 the metropolis inhabitant of Lille counted more 97 000 students.
Culture and Inheritance
Culture
See also: Culture in Lille
Lille, as a principal city of the one of the principal urban surfaces of France has a rich and diversified cultural life: many concert halls, rich community life (annual distribution of the Ch' Ti) and many events (Lille 2004, Lille 3000, Annual stock sale of Lille etc)
Inheritance
See also: Inheritance of Lille
Lille has a very diversified inheritance. Many conflicts touched it and brought rebuildings partial of the city. The architectural heritage extends from the Middle Ages (Vieille Stock Exchange) to the modern turns of Euralille, while passing by all the times.
Neglected in the post-war period, the inheritance inhabitant of Lille is the subject now of a very particular care. The city currently tries to rehabilitate it.
Sport
See also: Sport in Lille
The town of Lille, like many French cities, knows because of constraints in term of site available and transport, of recourse of association NIMBY, and a transfer of competence of the sporting infrastructures of the town halls towards the urban community, a departure of the teams towards the communes bordering:
- LOSC Lille Métropole plays since 2004 with the Northern Stadium Lille Métropole with Villeneuve d' Ascq while waiting for the construction of its new stage with Lezennes;
- the Lille Métropole Hockey Club plays since 1924 with Lambersart;
- the Lille Métropole Rugby Club will play Northern Stadium Lille Métropole, when the LOSC leaves it;
- the urban community wishes the fusion of the sections athletics of the LUC and the ASPTT Lille, in order to create Lille Métropole athletics whose Northern stadium would be the stage.
Each year, the semi-marathon of Lille makes the opening of the Braderie of Lille. The Marathon of the Road of the Louvre which connects Lille to Lens, is a great success since its first edition in 2006. It is accompanied by very attended family excursions they also.
In 1997 Lille represents the French candidature for the Olympic Games of summer of 2004, against ten other cities. It was eliminated in the first phase and it is finally Athens which accommodated the jeux.
Twin towns
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