Rennes, the centre of a rapidly expanding urban area
The Metropolitan district of Rennes comprises 37 towns and villages including the city of Rennes and today has a population of almost 400,000 (the third greatest population increase in western France), spread over some 61,000 hectares (598 inhabitants per km).
After the influx of 45,000 inhabitants over the past 15 years, a further rise of 60,000 is expected between now and 2015. This population growth can be witnessed in Rennes, across the département and throughout Brittany as a whole.
“Greater Rennes” stretches out around the central city, which has 210,000 inhabitants and is separated from the rest of the district by a green belt. This style of town planning has preserved the essentially rural identity of the suburban towns and villages. The Metropolitan district of Rennes has preserved vast farmlands in a fertile area along with numerous natural sites, notably along the River Vilaine and its tributaries.
The distinctive centre of Rennes blends seamlessly into the district’s contemporary urban fabric, thanks to a tried and tested planning policy which favours natural spaces and emphasises public transport and environmentally friendly ways of getting around such as the metro and cycling.