Faubourgs

Faubourg (pronounced [fo.buːʁ]) is an ancient French term approximating "suburb" (now generally termed banlieue). The earliest form is Forsbourg, derived from Latin foris, 'out of', and Vulgar Latin (originally Germanic) burgum, '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 below their towns, and the term "suburbs" is derived from this tendency (sub = below; urbs urbis = city).

Faubourgs are often considered the predecessor of European suburbs, into which they evolved generally in the 1950s and 1960s. Although early suburbs still conserved some characteristics related to faubourgs (such as the back alleys with doors, little break margins for houses, etc.), later suburbs underwent major changes in their construction, primarily in terms of residential density.

Beside many French cities, the places faubourgs can still be found outside Europe include the province of Quebec in Canada and the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The cities of Quebec and Montreal contain examples, although Montreal has far greater divergences in terms of "banlieue," which lead to similarities of many Ontarian and American suburbs.

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 Place de la Bastille via Place de la République and Place de la Madeleine to Place de la Concorde. 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 Place Charles de Gaulle in West and Place de la Nation in East.

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