Louvain-la-Neuve

Planned city

Main Square

Flag

Location within Walloon Brabant

Coordinates: 50°40′04″N 4°36′42″E / 50.66778°N 4.61167°ECoordinates: 50°40′04″N 4°36′42″E / 50.66778°N 4.61167°E

Country

Belgium

Province

Walloon Brabant

District

Wavre

Area

• Total

32.96 km² (12.73 sq mi)

Population (2006)

• Total

29,521

• Density

900/km² (2,300/sq mi)

Louvain-la-Neuve (French pronunciation: [lu.vɛ̃.la.nœv], French for New Leuven) is a planned city in the municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, situated 30 km southeast of Brussels, in the French-speaking part of the country. The city was built to house the Université Catholique de Louvain; following the linguistic quarrels that took place in Belgium during the 1960s, and Flemish claims of discrimination at the Catholic University of Leuven, the institution was split into the Dutch language Katholieke Universiteit Leuven which remained in Leuven, and the Université Catholique de Louvain.

To a great extent, it still lives following the rhythms of the university that is its . However, with the recent construction of L'Esplanade shopping complex, the Aula Magna exhibition centre and auditorium, as well as a large cinema complex, it is beginning to grow beyond its academic roots.

Louvain-la-Neuve is an example of the "automobile under" type of New Pedestrianism.

After much deliberation, the university administration agreed on a building site near the town of Ottignies, in the French-speaking part of the province of Brabant. They bought a 9 km² plot of beetroot farmland, which became the site from which the new city would arise. Construction started on 20 January 1969.

The first inhabitants arrived in 1972. At this time, there were only around 600 permanent residents of the city, who were joined during the day by some students of Applied Sciences, the first faculty to open. With the completion of university buildings and the ongoing residential development, the city experienced rapid growth, with 10,477 inhabitants recorded in 1981. The final goal is to reach 30,000 inhabitants, in addition to the 15,000 students living in town during the academic year.

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Wikipedia