![Turgot map of Paris, sheet 8 - Norman B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Turgot_map_of_Paris%2C_sheet_8_-_Norman_B._Leventhal_Map_Center.jpg)
"Faubourg" () is an ancient
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
term historically equivalent to "
fore-town" (now often termed
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
or ). The earliest form is , derived from
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
, 'out of', and
Vulgar Latin
Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...
(originally Germanic) , 'town' or 'fortress'. Traditionally, this name was given to an agglomeration forming around a throughway leading outwards from a city gate, and usually took the name of the same thoroughfare within the city. As cities were often located atop hills (for defensive purposes), their outlying communities were frequently lower down. Many faubourgs were located outside the city walls, and "suburbs" were further away from this location (, "below"; , "city").
Faubourgs are sometimes considered the predecessor of European suburbs, into which they sometimes evolved in the 1950s and 1960s, while others underwent further urbanisation. Although early suburbs still conserved some characteristics related to faubourgs (such as the back alleys with doors, little break margins for houses), later suburbs underwent major changes in their construction, primarily in terms of residential density.
Beside many French cities, can still be found outside Europe include the province of
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
in Canada and the city of
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The cities of Quebec and Montreal contain examples, although Montreal has far greater divergences in terms of , which lead to similarities of many
Ontarian and
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
n suburbs.
Paris
Faubourgs were prominent around
Paris
Paris () is the capital and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
since the 16th century. At that time, Paris was surrounded by a
city wall. But even outside the
Louis XIII wall
The city walls of Paris ( French: ''enceintes de Paris'' or ''murs de Paris'') refers to the city walls that surrounded Paris, France, as it grew from ancient times until the 20th century, built primarily to defend the city but also for adminis ...
there were urbanised areas, and those were called faubourgs. In 1701, these faubourgs were annexed to the city, and at about the same time, the wall was demolished, and where it once stood, there is now the chain of
Great Boulevards that leads from via and to . The border of the city was transferred a few kilometers outwards, and the new borderline, which was in force until 1860, is now marked by the outer circle of boulevards passing through in the west and in the east.
In 1860, the border of the city was once more transferred a few kilometers outwards to where it still is.
Haussmann's renovation of Paris
Haussmann's renovation of Paris was a vast public works programme commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III and directed by his prefect of Seine, Georges-Eugène Haussmann, between 1853 and 1870. It included the demolition of medieval neighbourho ...
erased many traces of ancient faubourgs and the term banlieue was then coined.
Many Parisian streets have retained their ancient denomination in spite of city growth; today it is still possible to discern pre-1701 delimitations in Paris by marking the point where a thoroughfare's name changes from to . For instance, the used to be located outside of the city wall and was an extension of the within the walls. The came about in a similar manner.
New Orleans
The term was also used in the early expansion of
beyond the original city plan, when French was still a common language in the colonial city. and , two of the oldest neighborhoods outside of the
French Quarter, are persistent examples. Another early example was , originally (late 18th century) a residential area, which was overtaken by commerce, developing into the modern
Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
.
Montreal
Greater Montreal no longer has any actual on
the main island, as the suburb now refers to the
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
South Shores. However, place names such as are still occasionally used to refer to the sections of
Ville-Marie.
Furthermore, the term ("the Montreal suburbs") is preserved in some place names in the
city proper, such as the annexes (branches) of the . There was also a in
The Village, which in 2003 was closed down.
Québec City
The term is still alive in
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
, where it is mostly used to designate the neighbourhood, often called or even by its inhabitants. The term also applies to the and areas, and the three neighbourhoods are comprised in the municipal district of .
Ville de Québec
/ref>
See also
* , the German equivalent
References
{{Reflist
Geography of France
Neighborhoods in New Orleans
Urban studies and planning terminology