Plaine commune is the public territorial institution (EPT) of Greater Paris located in the department of Seine Saint Denis. Established in the North of Paris, this area (formerly known as Agglomeration Community) is crossed by the Seine and Canal Saint-Denis. It is composed of nine districts: Aubervilliers, Épinay-sur-Seine, Île-Saint-Denis, La Courneuve, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen, Stains and Villetaneuse. About more than 400,000 inhabitants live in this territory.
The public territorial institution is an inter-municipal coorporation, which has formed since its creation a territory composed of districts with a minimum of 50,000 inhabitants. It is a French intercommunal public territorial institution (EPCI) relating to the improvement and simplification of inter-communal corporation with its own tax system. Each attached district transfers a part of its competence, inter joint provision of public services to the management of the public territorial institution.
In 1998, the construction of the stadium Stade de France and the major development projects of Plaine Saint-Denis motivated the towns located in proximity of the territory to be gathered together. In 1999, Aubervilliers, Épinay-sur-Seine, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Saint-Denis and Villetaneuse decided to form a conurbation of districts which became the public territorial institution in 2000, becoming on the same occasion, the largest regional authority by the number of inhabitants in Greater Paris. Over the years, other cities joined in, Saint-Ouen became the ninth city joining in 2013. At the time of the creation of the metropole of Greater Paris, on January, 1st, 2016 conurbation community Plaine Commune became the Public Territorial institution and kept the name and the number of districts.
The aims of regrouping the towns are for pooling resources and strengthen the capacities by delegating to the public territorial institution. Plaine Commune holds the following compentecy-based approaches:
Plaine Commune houses famous tourist and heritage sites such as: Stade de France for major sports events and huge scale shows, the Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis, necropolis of the kings and Queens of France or the Flea market Paris Saint-Ouen, the largest antique market in Europe. The public territorial institution in charge of tourism assigned the tourist office Plaine Commune Grand Paris to enhance and promote the tourist asset of the territory.
Plaine Commune is a dynamic territory. Many companies are settling here, developing economy and employment. It is becoming a flurry of cultural and artistic venues. The "Grandes Scènes Nationales" - a French certified public service of national venues, such as Theater Gérard Philipe Saint-Denis or Theatre de la Commune Aubervilliers feature a rich programme throughout the year. The territory is also home to Académie Fratellini, the Equestrian Theater Zingaro and Cité du Cinéma Luc Besson.
Industrial heritage has strongly marked the urban town planning of Plaine Commune related through many testimonies. Thus, the visit of cité-jardin Stains recalls the conditions and past of the workers in the territory. Mixing memories and modernity, Plaine Commune also houses the site of the Nationals Archives in Pierrefitte and diplomatic archives in La Courneuve. Each year many guided visits are available for free in Saint-Denis during Heritage Days as well as in the territory of Plaine Commune.
A strategic territory in Ile-de-France, Plaine Commune has been identified as one of the 10 development poles of Grand Paris as part of the territorial development agreement signed by the towns and the state: "a pole of creation, a territory epitomizing French creativity, artistic creation, art works, fashion, design, 3D animation, video game, imagery and digital sound".
In this context, the Departmental Tourism Board of Seine-Saint-Denis proposes, in partnership with Saint-Denis Plaine Commune Tourist Office, visits to meet the main actors of «a Territory of culture and creation".
Book one of the following visits
Visit of Cité du Cinéma
Visit of Louis Lumière School at Cité du Cinéma
Visits on the theme of heritage
Visit of RMN workshops
Visit of the reserve Arts and crafts works Museum
Visit of the nationals archives of Pierrefitte
Visit of the diplomatic archives
The restauration of paper artworks Art and History Museum
Visit the Archaeological unit of Saint-Denis
Visit the “fabrique de la ville” in Saint-Denis
Visits around crafts, art work and design
Maison Charles, bronze art
Workshop Benoît Marcu, restorer of antique furniture
Workshop Antoine Petit, textile xerographer
Workshop Decomosa, mosaïcs art
Workshop Boutique Franciade
Econatbio, creation of cardboard furniture
Tourist Information about the different towns that make up Plaine Commune
To find out more and get useful information about each of the towns of the public territorial authority of Plaine Commune, hotel-residence accommodation, restaurants, sites to visit, cultural venues :
Aubervilliers - Épinay-sur-Seine - L'Ile-Saint-Denis - La Courneuve - Pierrefitte-sur-Seine - Saint-Denis - Saint-Ouen - Stains - Villetaneuse
