courbevoie

Courbevoie

northwestern suburb of Paris, Hauts-de-Seine departement, Ile-de-France region, northern France. The suburb is bordered to the south by avenue du General-de-Gaulle, a continuation of the Champs-Elysees. Owing partly to its proximity to the Seine, Courbevoie developed as an industrial suburb of Paris; however, industrial activity has now declined substantially, with sites redeveloped for commercial and residential use. The impetus for this change came from the development of the huge La Defense business district, part of which extends into the southern portion of Courbevoie (the remainder lies in the adjacent area of Puteaux). First developed in the late 1950s, La Defense has become the French capital's primary office quarter, a district of high-rise buildings that provide headquarters for multinational companies and house a wide range of related business services. La Defense is linked to central Paris by both metro and the regional express railway. Pop. (1999) 69,694.

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