La dynamique du peuplement dans le Centre-Ouest de la France

This article investigates the role played by the Loire in the population dynamics of the regions downstream from Orleans, crossed by this river. To this end, it isuseful to re-situate the Loire in a larger geographic zone, made up of the Centre and Pays de la Loire regions. While the river no longer has the structuring role that it has played in the past, its presence still explains the relations between certain regions today. The inhabitants of west-central France are now concentrated around urban areas which are affected by the general trend of the extension of periurban rings. The organisation of these urban areas contrasts two distinct urban networks: in the west, the Atlantic front region forms a network of towns oriented towards Brittany; in the east, the valley between Orleans and Tours is the principal axis of the Centre region. In west-central France, the Loire is the link between the metropolis of Paris and the Atlantic. In recent decades, the development of individual means of transport has made these urban areas more accessible from sparsely populated areas. In the Loire Valley, we are witnessing a polarization of the population, which has taken, for historic reasons, the form of a string of urban centers. On the local level, urban growth has benefited from the highlands which overhang the valley. But the improved flow of through traffic, thanks to the construction of bridges and ring roads, encourages the urban integration of the valleys and increases their attractiveness. Today, the population dynamics of the large riverside cities – for which a model is proposed – are therefore becoming free from the geographic constraints which the river has long imposed on their development.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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