Abstract EN:

The northern edge of the massif central is one of france's low density areas, and yet it is far from being the largely rural region often described in regional geographic surveys. The city unquestionably asserts its presence and the rates of urbanization are very close to national averages (75%). However the still predominantly rural mountain zones - combraille, plateau de millevaches, monts d'auvergne. . . - must be clearly differentiated from the low lands the valleys and main traffic corridors - whose population rates compare to those of the densely populated countries of northern europe with more than 80% city dwellers. This region is thus perfectly integrated into urban france. The population growth of these cities is comparable to that of other french cities, with the highest expansion mainly in the larger cities - clermont-ferrand and limoges. Nor is there any particular functional backwardness; indeed, the division of the population according to the different socioprofessional categories such as defined by insee is also close to that of other french cities of similar size. Of a type with urban france, the northern part of the massif central is also characterized by a clearly ordered system with each urban level represented, allowing efficient servicing of the whole region. In fact the different populations of auvergne, limousin or nivernais have remarkably easy access to a wide range of tertiary facilities with few communication obstacles. The rational organization of space is evident in the region's conformity to the great theoretical models -christaller and reilly. Here in fact is a nearly perfect christallerian network, but its evolution raises many problems and conflicting issues. Indeed, a phenomenon of regional metropolization can be seen through the spontaneous strengthening of each metropolis of the northern massif central on its zone of influence. But at the same time, the cities' influence is gradually dwindling in the french urban network due to the concentration of the rarer services in the major urban centres deemed large enough to be likely to achieve "european size". The future of the urban network in the northern massif central will depend on the two cities developing a deliberate policy of town and country planning which can reconcile two apparently contradictory objectives : a balanced distribution of services and transport within the