() is a ( or ), a public entity under Swiss law,
in charge of organizing cooperation within the cross-border
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
of
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
(in particular metropolitan transports). The Grand Genève GLCT extends over
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
(entire
Canton of Geneva and the canton of
Vaud's entire
Nyon District) and
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(, literally "Metropolitan hub of the French Genevan territory", a federation of eight French
intercommunal councils in the
departments of
Ain and
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
).
The Grand Genève GLCT covers a land area of (27.7% Swiss territory, 72.3% French territory)
and had a population of 1,046,168 in Jan. 2021 (Swiss estimates and French census), 58.3% of them living on Swiss territory, and 41.7% on French territory.
History
The city centre of Geneva is located only from the border of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. As a result, the
urban area
An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
and the
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
largely extend across the border on French territory. Due to the small size of the municipality of Geneva ()
and extension of the urban area over an international border, official bodies of transnational cooperation were developed as early as the 1970s to manage the cross-border Greater Geneva area at a metropolitan level.
In 1973, a Franco-Swiss agreement created the ('Franco-Genevan Regional Committee', in French).
In 1997 an 'Urban planning charter' of the CRFG defined for the first time a planning territory called ('Franco-
Vaud-Genevan urban area').
2001 saw the creation of a ('Strategic Committee for the Development of Regional Public Transports', in French), a committee which adopted in 2003 a 'Charter for Public Transports', first step in the development of a metropolitan, cross-border
commuter rail
Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
network (see
Léman Express).
In 2004, a public transnational body called ('Franco-Vaud-Genevan urban area project') was created to serve as the main body of metropolitan cooperation for the planning territory defined in 1997, with more local French councils taking part in this new public body than in the CRFG created in 1973.
Finally in 2012 the was renamed ('Greater Geneva'), and the following year it was transformed into a Local Grouping of Transnational Cooperation (), a public entity under Swiss law, which now serves as the executive body of the .
Organisation
Membership
The Grand Genève GLCT comprises 8 members and 2 associate members.
8 members:
*
Canton of Geneva
* City of
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
* Canton of
Vaud
* Region of Nyon (a federation of all the
communes in the
Nyon District to coordinate regional planning; note: the Nyon District is only a
deconcentrated subdivision of the Canton of Vaud, and as such is not a legal person and is not member of Grand Genève, whereas the coterminous Region of Nyon is a legal person member of the Grand Genève GLCT)
* ' (literally "Metropolitan hub of the French Genevan territory"), a (federation) of six French
intercommunal councils in the
department of
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
and two French intercommunal councils in the department of
Ain
*
Departmental council of Haute-Savoie
*
Departmental council of Ain
*
Regional council of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
2 associate members:
*
French State
*
Swiss Confederation
Territory
The territory over which the Grand Genève GLCT exercises cross-border cooperation and metropolitan planning, formerly known as ('Franco-Vaud-Genevan urban area'), and now simply (although the former name is still used as a subtitle), is made up of the following areas:
* in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
(553.2 km
2)
** entire
Canton of Geneva (245.8 km
2)
** Canton of
Vaud's entire
Nyon District (307.4 km
2)
* in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(1443.2 km
2):
** (literally 'Metropolitan hub of the French Genevan territory'), made up of:
*** six
intercommunal councils in
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
(812.5 km
2):
**** CA
Thonon Agglomération (238.9 km
2)
**** CA
Annemasse - Les Voirons Agglomération (78.2 km
2)
**** CC (99.3 km
2)
**** CC (93.9 km
2)
**** CC (150.7 km
2)
**** CC (151.5 km
2)
*** two intercommunal councils in
Ain (630.7 km
2):
**** CA
du Pays de Gex (404.9 km
2)
**** CC (formerly ') (225.8 km
2)
Abbreviations:
* CA: ('agglomeration community')
* CC: ('community of communes')
Governance
The Grand Genève GLCT is governed by an assembly () made up of 24 members (12 Swiss members and 12 French members), appointed by the local Swiss and French councils making up the , and an executive board () made up of 8 members chosen among the 24 assembly members.
The 8 members of the executive board each represent one of the 8 public entities which form the (4 Swiss entities: Canton of Geneva, City of Geneva, Canton of Vaud, Region of Nyon; 4 French entities: , departmental councils of Haute-Savoie and Ain, regional council of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
).
One member of the executive board, since 2018
Antonio Hodgers, representative of the Canton of Geneva, is the president of the board and of the , while the 7 other board members are all vice-president of the board and .
The assembly of the GLCT meets three times a year, and is co-chaired by the Canton of Geneva, the Canton of Vaud and the .
The executive board meets three to four times a year, and is in charge of overseeing the various initiatives of the GLCT and of preparing the assembly meetings.
Transportation

The territory of Grand Genève is served by various forms of public transport, including the network within the Canton of Geneva, the
Léman Express commuter rail system, and the boat network.
The Léman Express, a cross-border metropolitan rail network which links the suburbs of Geneva in France and in the canton of Vaud via tunnels under the city of Geneva (see
CEVA rail), entered service in 2019 after more than 7 years of work and is a symbol of transnational urban cooperation in the territory.
References
External links
*
Politique d'agglomération, site fédéral ARE (Switzerland)Annemasse Agglomeration: the Greater Geneva
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Geneve
Geography of Geneva
Metropolitan areas of Switzerland
Transborder agglomerations
Metropolitan areas of France
Geography of Ain
Geography of Haute-Savoie
Geneva