Faubourgs

"Faubourg" () is an ancient French term historically equivalent to " fore-town" (now often termed suburb or ). The earliest form is , derived from Latin , 'out of', and Vulgar Latin (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 in Canada and the city of New Orleans in the United States. 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 American suburbs.

Paris

Faubourgs were prominent around Paris since the 16th century. At that time, Paris was surrounded by a city wall. But even outside the Louis XIII wall 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 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 New Orleans 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.

Montreal

Greater Montreal no longer has any actual on the main island, as the suburb now refers to the North 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, 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
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See also

* , the German equivalent

References

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Geography of France
Neighborhoods in New Orleans
Urban studies and planning terminology