The Métropole Européenne de Lille (, MEL; ) is the , an
intercommunal structure, composed by a network of big cities (
Lille,
Roubaix
Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, depar ...
,
Tourcoing,
Villeneuve d'Ascq,
Armentières etc.) whose major city is the
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
of
Lille. It is located in the
Nord department, in the
Hauts-de-France
Hauts-de-France (; ; ), also referred to in English as Upper France, is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, northern
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 ...
– bordering both the
Flemish and
Walloon regions of
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. It was created in January 2015, replacing the previous ''
Communauté urbaine de Lille'',
and covers that part of the Lille metropolitan area that lies in France. Its area is 671.9 km
2. Its population was 1,179,050 in 2019, of which 234,475 in Lille proper.
The annual budget of the métropole is €1,865 billion (2018).
History
The urban community was founded in 1967 with
Augustin Laurent as its first president.
Then, in 1971, Arthur Notebart, Deputy Mayor of Lomme, succeeded him until the election of Pierre Mauroy in 1989.
After the March 2008 municipal elections, each city council sent delegates to the urban community, a total of 170 voting members.
In April 2008, a new president was to be elected on a majority vote, defined at 816 votes. It caused for intense lobbying throughout the 85 cities and villages. One key issue was the investment priorities for the 2008/2014 period, namely transport, housing and the environment. The newly re-elected mayor of Lille, socialist
Martine Aubry, tried to impose a new €800 million stadium in the eastern part of the community, which was opposed by three major mayors of her own party, who considered the project as misplaced and too expensive.
On January 1, 2015, the métropole replaced the urban community in accordance with a law of January 2014.
[ On January 1, 2017, the number of municipalities of the métropole increased from 85 to 90. It was expanded with the 5 communes of the former ''Communauté de communes de la Haute Deûle'' on March 14, 2020.][Arrêté préfectoral]
25 October 2019, p. 11
Responsibilities
Local public transport
The metropolitan community is responsible for the co-ordination of Ilévia, the private-sector company that operates a public transport network throughout the métropole. The network comprises buses, trams and a driverless metro system, all of which are operated under the Transpole name. The Lille Metro is a VAL system (''véhicule automatique léger'' = light automated vehicle) that opened on May 16, 1983, becoming the first automatic metro line in the world. The metro system has two lines, with a total length of 45 km and 60 stations. The tram system consists of two interurban tram lines, connecting central Lille to the nearby communities of Roubaix
Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, depar ...
and Tourcoing, and has 45 stops. 68 urban bus routes cover the metropolis, 8 of which reach into Belgium.
Cross-border cooperation
The MEL metropolitan community encompasses only the French part of the urban area around Lille; the other part is on Belgian territory and outside the scope of MEL.
The Eurometropolis Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai is a transnational structure founded on January 28, 2008Kortrijk
Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...
, Mouscron and Tournai.
Communes
Métropole Européenne de Lille consists of the following 95 communes:[Métropole Européenne de Lille (N° SIREN : 200093201)]
BANATICIntercommunalité : Métropole Européenne de Lille
INSEEHalluin
Halluin (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France.
Geography
It is located at the north of the Métropole Européenne de Lille, on the Belgium, Belgian border ...
# Hantay
# Haubourdin
# Hem
# Herlies
# Houplin-Ancoisne
# Houplines
# Illies
# Lambersart
# Lannoy
# Le Maisnil
# Leers
# Lesquin
# Lezennes
# Lille
# Linselles
# Lompret
# Loos
# Lys-lez-Lannoy
# La Madeleine
# Marcq-en-Barœul
# Marquette-lez-Lille
# Marquillies
# Mons-en-Barœul
# Mouvaux
# Neuville-en-Ferrain
# Noyelles-lès-Seclin
# Pérenchies
# Péronne-en-Mélantois
# Prémesques
# Provin
# Quesnoy-sur-Deûle
# Radinghem-en-Weppes
# Ronchin
# Roncq
#Roubaix
Roubaix ( , ; ; ; ) is a city in northern France, located in the Lille metropolitan area on the Belgian border. It is a historically mono-industrial Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, depar ...
# Sailly-lez-Lannoy
# Sainghin-en-Mélantois
# Sainghin-en-Weppes
# Saint-André-lez-Lille
# Salomé
# Santes
# Seclin
# Sequedin
# Templemars
# Toufflers
# Tourcoing
# Tressin
# Vendeville
# Verlinghem
# Villeneuve-d'Ascq
# Wambrechies
# Warneton
# Wasquehal
# Wattignies
# Wattrelos
# Wavrin
# Wervicq-Sud
# Wicres
# Willems
References
External links
European Metropolis of Lille website
Communautés urbaines et métropoles de France
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metropolitan Lille
Lille
Lille
1967 establishments in France