Of course, we are still far from the 150,000 mark, familiar to us at the end of the 1990s. But the slow rise begun by the population of Brest in recent years has just been concretized by a crossing, certainly more modest, but symbolic. The municipal population of Brest will officially be, on January 1 and according to the figures published this Thursday, December 19, 2024 by INSEE, 140,993 inhabitants.
This level is a first since 2017 (142,748 inhabitants counted), for the city which, over the period 2016-2022, shows an increase of 1.2%, with a net gain of 1,651 administered. “These figures are particularly encouraging because they show, after a rebalancing in recent years, that Brest is now gaining residents. This demonstrates the relevance of our public policies and is another illustration of the essential role of Brest and the metropolis for the future of Brittany, as we recalled during the 50th anniversary of the metropolis,” says François Cuillandre. , when reading INSEE data.
Because behind Brest, the entire metropolis confirms its attractiveness, with a total gain of 4,473 inhabitants over the last six years (+ 2.1%) for the city which nevertheless remains the smallest metropolis in France with its 213,403 inhabitants. With a more or less spectacular rhythm.
If Bohars (197 more inhabitants in six years), Guilers (+ 211) and Gouesnou (+ 320) show good progress, the prize goes to the largest municipalities in the territory, which confirm their domination. With the exception of Plougastel-Daoulas, however, whose slowdown noted in recent years seems to be confirmed; over six years, its progression peaks at 0.6%, or 82 administered.
Plougastel in slow motion
The ninth city of Finistère would not pay for a lack of attractiveness here, but for the difficulties affecting its housing market. The strawberry city was also classified as a “tense zone” at the end of 2023 and its mayor, Dominique Cap, does not miss an opportunity to sound the alarm: “In our area, there is no more land buildable,” he recently confided to Télégramme, pointing out the limits of the Littoral law and the obstacles to urban expansion.
Also classified as a tense zone at the end of 2023, Plouzané and Le Relecq-Kerhuon have for the moment, however, seen their growth disrupted: 403 inhabitants have been gained in six years on the other side of the Iroise bridge, 674 west of the metropolis. And Plouzané can still see it coming, thanks to the announcement of a program of 700 housing units on the Zac de Kerarmerrien…
In Guipavas, developers have no difficulty marketing their programs and there is not a week without a call from companies looking to set up or expand.
In the lead, Guipavas keeps some underfoot
However, the prize is retained, this year again, by the municipality of Guipavas, with growth of 6.5% over six years and a gain of 935 inhabitants. With now 13,431 citizens, the easternmost city of the metropolis consolidates its rank as the fifth municipality in Finistère, acquired in 2019.
“It is not a challenge for us to become the fourth city in the department, to reach 16 or 17,000 inhabitants,” says Fabrice Jacob, the mayor of Guipavas. We especially benefit from our geographical location, at the gateway to the metropolis, with proximity to the airport and the four roads.” But the councilor confirms that the growth of his municipality, with its 13,000 jobs, should not stop soon. “Promoters have no difficulty marketing their programs and not a week goes by without a call from companies looking to set up shop or expand.”
Here, the issue is also primarily that of housing. “The private sector is saturated, which leads to a shift to the social sector: demand has quadrupled since Covid.” Guipavas, however, retains land reserves, which it intends to exploit “gradually”, while focusing on urban requalification. “We are going to release 72 social housing units on the site of a former residential home, and we also have brownfields to rehabilitate in Coataudon. But the idea is to spread out the openings over time, so as to best adapt our services, particularly in schools.”
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