Amiens (<small>English:</small> <small>or</small> ; ; , or ) is a city and commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. With 136,449 inhabitants (2023), Amiens was part of Francia starting from the 5th century. The Normans sacked the city in 859 and again in 882.
In 1113, the city was recognized by King Louis VI of France, and in 1185 it was linked to the Crown of France. In 1597, Spanish soldiers held the city during the six-month Siege of Amiens, before Henry IV regained control. During the 18th and 19th century, the textile tradition of Amiens became famous for its velours. As a result of the French Revolution, the provinces of France were dismantled and the territory was organised into departments. Much of Picardy became the newly created department of Somme with Amiens as the departmental capital. During the industrial revolution, the city walls were demolished, opening up space for large boulevards around the town center. The Henriville neighborhood in the south of the city was developed around this time. In 1848, the first railway arrived in Amiens, linking the city to Boulogne-sur-Mer. During the 1870 Battle of Amiens, the city was occupied by invading Prussian forces.
The town was fought over during both the First and Second World Wars, suffering significant damage and being occupied several times by both sides. The 1918 Battle of Amiens was the opening phase of the Hundred Days Offensive which led directly to the Armistice with Germany that ended the war. In June 1944 following D-Day, Amiens was heavily bombed by the Royal Air Force. The town was liberated by British forces on 31 August. The city was rebuilt according to Pierre Dufau's plans with a focus on widening the streets to ease traffic congestion. These newer structures were primarily built of brick, concrete and white stone with slate roofs. The architect Auguste Perret designed the Gare d'Amiens train station and nearby Tour Perret.
Geography
Location
thumb|right|Map of the Amiens and its surrounding communes
Amiens, once regional prefecture of the former Picardy Region, is the prefecture of the Somme department, one of the three departments (with Oise and Aisne) in the region. Located in the Paris Basin, the city benefits from a privileged geographical position, with close proximity to Paris, Lille, Rouen, London and Brussels. At the crossroads of major European routes of travel (A1, A16 and A29), the city is also at the heart of a major rail star.
As the crow flies, the city is north of Paris, south-west of Lille, north-east of Rouen, east-north-east of Le Havre and north-west of Reims. At the regional level, Amiens is located north of Beauvais, west of Saint-Quentin, from Compiègne and from Laon.
In area, Amiens is the third-largest settlement in the Somme, after Crécy-en-Ponthieu and Hornoy-le-Bourg.
Geography and relief
The area of the commune is ; the altitude varies between .
Hydrography: Somme and canal, Avre and Selle
thumb|left|150px|The Somme in the old town at the beginning of the 20th century
thumb|right|The Becquet Bridge, at the start of the 20th century
The main stem of the River Somme passes through Amiens and is generally benign, except during exceptional floods that can last up to several weeks (such as in spring 2001). It is also, on its southeastern outskirts, close to Camon and Longueau, the confluence with its main tributary on the left bank (to the south), and the Avre. The Selle enters from the northwest of Amiens, with two arms (including the Haute Selle) passing behind the Unicorn Stadium, the exhibition park, the megacity and horse racing track, then passing the end of the Promenade de la Hotoie and the zoo of Amiens, and to the right of the water treatment plant, in front of the island Sainte-Aragone, opposite the cemetery of La Madeleine in Amiens.
The city developed in a natural narrowing of the river due to the advance of the rim of the Picard plateau in Saint-Pierre (ford crossing). The Amiens citadel is built on this limestone butte of the Picard plateau and Rue Saint-Pierre is a slightly inclined path to leave the city from the north. At this narrowing, a network of narrow canals led to the construction of bridges and buildings including textile mills in the Middle Ages.
The marshes of the old bed of the river Somme was used to dig peat. Farmers maintained rieux, canals and ditches by cleaning out the silt and used it to append to their vegetable garden plot. During the 20th century maintenance of the canals was stopped and gardens were gradually left to lie fallow or sold to private individuals who created pleasure gardens accessible by boat.
The hydrographic network has always been an important city-operated asset. The river helped shape the identity of the landscape, urban and economic territory. It is around the Saint-Leu and Saint-Maurice neighborhoods that border the River Somme, as well as most of the administrative and civil area of the current city center which the city has developed since antiquity.
The Canal de la Somme dates from the beginning of the 19th century and the bridge at the foot of the citadel was built after World War II.
Climate
Amiens has the typical oceanic climate of the north of France, with relatively mild winters, cool summers, and rainfall well distributed throughout the year.
800px|centre
Transport
Amiens is a hub between the Île de France and the rest of northern France; Normandy and Benelux; and France and Great Britain. Amiens is not directly on principal European road and rail arteries, such as the A1 motorway and the Paris-Lille TGV train line, at present.
However, due to its position halfway between the urban areas of Lille and Paris, Amiens has good conditions for service and accessibility, including motorways (at the junction of the A16 and A29).
Rail
Amiens station is served by regional train services to destinations that include Rouen, Calais, Lille, Reims, Compiègne and Paris-Nord. Saint-Roch (Somme) station in the western part of the city is served by local trains towards Rouen and Abbeville. A regular bus route with the TGV Haute-Picardie station also provides access to the Charles-de-Gaulle Airport station. On the horizon of 2025, the Roissy–Picardie Link will put Amiens 55 minutes from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport and its TGV station.
By train, Amiens is located at:
{| style="margin:1em auto; vertical-align:top; width:100%;"
|-
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
- 1 hour 5 minutes from Paris (16 round-trip trains per day)
- 1 hour 15 minutes from Lille
- 1 hour 15 minutes from Rouen
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
- 2 hours 30 minutes from Brussels
- 3 hours 30 minutes from Lyon
- 3 hours from London
|}
Roads
Since antiquity, Amiens has been a crossroads of important routes. The contemporary city is served by the A16 and A29 autoroutes. The Jules Verne Viaduct, long, crosses the River Somme to the east of the city and allows circumvention of the city by motorway-type roads. The A16 and A29 autoroutes, the RN1 and the RN25 form a bypass-type motorway around the city that the population has called the or Amiens ring road. Initially constituting national roads which are downgraded today, mostly as departmental roads, the greater urban area of Amiens is served by:
{| style="margin:1em auto; vertical-align:top; width:100%;"
|-
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
- RN 1 to Beauvais and Paris, to the South, and towards Abbeville, Calais, Dunkirk and the Belgian border, northwest.
- RN 25 towards Doullens, Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise and Arras
- RD 1029 towards Yvetot and Neufchâtel-en-Bray to the west, Saint-Quentin and La Capelle in the east.
| style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
- RD 929 to Albert and Bapaume and Cambrai.
- towards Compiègne.
- to Mailly-Maillet and Arras.
- to Bernaville and Auxi-le-Château.
- to Roye and Noyon.
|}
Amiens is served by several motorways:
- A16 to Calais via Abbeville and Boulogne-sur-Mer
- A16 to Paris via Beauvais
- A29 to Rouen and Le Havre via Neufchâtel-en-Bray
- A29 to Reims via Saint-Quentin and Laon
- The proposed A24 autoroute from Amiens to Lille via Doullens was cancelled in 2006.
Parking
thumb|300px|Map of parking in the city center of Amiens in 2009
According to the urban transport plan (PDU) approved 19 December 2013 for the period 2013–2023 parking supply is considered abundant in Amiens. Although important, demand for parking is less than what is available (capacity reserves are still 20% minimum: If the road is sometimes saturated, the occupancy rate of the underground parking remains globally less than 100%). A year after the change of majority, the team launched a consultation with the population. From 2011, residential parking was extended to the Gare-La-Vallée and Riolan neighborhoods, then in 2012 to the Noyon neighborhood and the area east of the Riolan sector. In 2014, 2,600 parking spaces were affected by this system which allowed city residents more parking near their homes in order to promote a better rotation of vehicles in the streets and reduce permanent occupation of public space by the cars cluttering the highway.
Public transport
Amiens was once served by with a combined length of , opened in 1887. They intersected at Place Gambetta, one linking , the Church of Saint-Acheul, Cagnard bridge, Rue de Noyon and Rue Jules-Barni; the other from the Church of Saint-Pierre at the racecourse, by the streets of Saint-Leu, Frédéric-Petit and Colbert. Electrified in 1899, the network grew to seven lines totaling in 1906. From 1932, Longueau was linked to Amiens by a bus service. German bombing in 1940 destroyed most of the city center and hit the Jules-Ferry Road tram depot, totally destroying the tram fleet. Only the Longueau bus survived. A few old Parisian buses were also used in an extremely reduced service. These buses as well as the surviving bus were then converted to city gas and equipped with tanks on the roof covered by a huge white dome. This service continued until approximately 1946. There were only two urban lines: An east–west line (Saint-Acheul – Montieres) and a northeast–southwest line (Beauville – road to Rouen). It was decided after the war to serve the city by a trolleybus with one route to Longueau. This was only in part realized, serving Saint-Acheul, Rouen, La Madeleine and Saint-Pierre. In 1964, trolleybuses were abandoned and the bus became ubiquitous in Amiens transportation.
The current consists of a bus network managed by the Ametis , whose network covers Amiens Métropole, the agglomeration of Amiens. The establishment of dedicated bus lanes began in 2006. Former Mayor Gilles de Robien had envisioned the , but the choice of dedicated bus lanes had been preferred for reasons of cost and patronage. His successor, Mayor , had been considering the development of a in the metropolitan area. As a result of numerous studies and conferences, elected representatives voted for the creation of a tram at the municipal Council of 15 November 2012. The project had been endorsed by the Communauté d'agglomération Amiens Métropole on 18 December 2012 and the commissioning of a first north–south tram route was scheduled for 2018/2019. Following the , which were a defeat for most municipal and community carriers of the project, the new mayor of Amiens Brigitte Fouré, and by extension the new president of Amiens Métropole Alain Gest, decided to suspend the project at least during the time of their respective mandates, thus applying a campaign promise (the tram was at the heart of debate) and despite a project announcement of trams on tyres (of TVR type). Improvement of public transit would then be only by that of the bus network. Indeed, in December of the same year, the Community Council approved funding for a study (the sixth in 20 years) relating to the establishment of a rapid transit bus network (BHNS), which should enter into service in March 2019, and whose vehicles could be electric.
<gallery mode="packed">
LL 35 - AMIENS - La Place Gambetta (couleur, 2 trams dt le 30).jpg|The Place Gambetta: An important hub of the former tram network of Amiens at the beginning of the 20th century
LL 65 - AMIENS - Le lycée de Jeunes Filles.JPG|The lycée de jeunes filles and tramway, Rue des Otages, now Lycée Madeleine-Michelis
Mercedes Citaro O530GII n°331 AMETIS Gare du Nord.jpg|A bus of the Amiens public transport network
</gallery>
Cycle networks
thumb|Vélam public [[bicycle sharing system in Amiens]]
Amiens has developed two bike services: Buscyclette and .
- Buscyclette is a service of rental bikes on demand, created in May 1999. In 2014, nearly 2,400 "green bikes" are available for rent, essentially city bikes but also electric bikes (VAE), folding bicycles and specific bikes (such as kids bikes, child trailers, mountain bikes, cargo bikes, tandems). The rental period varies from half a day to one year.
- Velam is a bike sharing system created on 16 February 2008, an adaptation of the system managed by JCDecaux, similar to Vélo'v in Lyon and Vélib' in Paris. Velam offers 313 bikes distributed every 300 to 400 metres in the center of Amiens and 26 stations.
In 2012, Amiens Métropole had of routes for cyclists.
- The station of Saint-Roch
Connections from these two stations include to Lille via Arras and Douai, to Boulogne via Abbeville, to Paris-Nord via Creil or Compiègne, to Reims via Tergnier, and to Rouen.
- A station located on the Paris – Lille line in Longueau serving the south of Amiens and the communes of Longueau, Cagny, and Boves
- Longueau station, a passenger station of the historic railway hub in Longueau. Every day, 2,500 travellers use its two lines.
<gallery mode="packed">
CARON 328 - AMIENS - La Gare du Nord.jpg |Gare du Nord (old postcard published by Caron No. 328, postmarked in 1909)
INCONNU_-_AMIENS_-_Intérieur_de_la_Gare_Saint-Roch.jpg |Inside Saint-Roch railway station (postcard postmarked in 1905)
Amiens_St_Roch_(extérieur).jpg |Gare Saint-Roch
Gare de Longueau - La Halle.JPG|Gare de Longueau
</gallery>
Air transport
In addition to Amiens – Glisy Aerodrome, bordering the town's eastern edge from the center, there are several airports nearby.
- Albert – Picardie Airport is located 20 minutes northeast of the city.
- Beauvais-Tillé Airport, the ninth largest French airport by usage, located 45 minutes by car south of the city, and served by a bus service from Amiens.
- Lille Airport, reachable by train or by road using the A29 and A1.
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, reachable by train or by road using the A29 and A1, or A16 and N104. The creation of a railway between Creil and Roissy will put Amiens 55 minutes from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport by 2020.
Waterways
The Somme canal runs through the town to the English Channel. This canal is linked to the Canal du Nord (Paris to Lille metropolitan area).
Urbanism
Urban morphology
Amiens comprises a number of neighborhoods () with their own characteristics, including Saint-Leu, St-Maurice, Henriville, and Saint-Acheul.
Saint-Leu neighborhood
St-Leu forms part of Amiens, north of the city center. It has many older wooden and brick houses and several canals. At the foot of the cathedral, traversed by canals, this picturesque area was largely rehabilitated during the 1990s. It extends to the Somme canal, located more to the north, at the foot of the Coteau Saint-Pierre on which the fortress of Jean Errard, called Citadelle, was built. Historically, it was the poor neighborhood of the city, where butchers, tanners and dyers gathered.
Amiens University's Faculty of Sciences, present since the 1960s, has been renovated and expanded on occasion. The Faculty of Law and Economics has also been transferred since the mid-1990s from the campus (offset to the south of the city) to its new location at the foot of the cathedral. The open-air parking it replaces was a "gap" in the landscape dating from World War II. Nonetheless, it allowed an unobstructed view of the cathedral. Most of the buildings have been renovated and transformed into housing much of which is for students.
The area became the heart of the Amiens people's evenings, with many establishments (bars, restaurants, etc.) on Place du Don and Quai Bélu.
The church is found at Rue Saint-Leu, located just between the Faculty of Science and Law-Economy (UPJV).
Two theatres were established in the neighborhood, that of the Chés Cabotans (puppet shows in the Picard language) and the Maison du Théâtre at the foot of the Saint-Leu Church. There is also La Lune des Pirates, a concert hall.
<gallery mode="packed">
0 Amiens - Place du Don - Cathédrale (1).JPG|Place du Don: The River Somme and cathedral
0_Amiens_-_Quartier_Saint-Leu_%281%29.JPG|Saint-Leu: Rue du Hocquet
Saint Leu rue d'Engoulvent.jpg|Saint-Leu: Rue d'Engoulvent and Rue des Majots
Saint Leu rue d'Engoulvent depuis Majot.jpg|Saint-Leu: Rue d'Engoulvent
Place Aristide Briand Amiens.jpg|Saint-Leu: Place Aristide Briand
Amiens quartier saint leu canaux 200503.jpg|Canal in the Saint-Leu neighborhood
Quai belu amiens.JPG|Quai Bélu on the banks of the Somme, near the old market on the waterside
Amiens_StLeuAviron.jpg|The Samarobriva footbridge from the Sport Nautique d'Amiens to Saint-Pierre Park in 2009
</gallery>
Saint-Maurice neighborhood
Located to the west of the Citadelle, and east of the , this very old working-class neighborhood of Amiens acted as an industrial center in the 18th century. It is currently undergoing significant housing renovation and development.
Bordered by the Canal de la Somme, it offers a stopover for leisure boats, which must go through a lock.
The walls of the city's former dye factory are now those of the (ESAD) as well as those of the Faculty of Arts. The École supérieure d'ingénieurs en électronique et électrotechnique (ESIEE) is in the same neighborhood. As the Citadelle, it will be renovated by the architect Renzo Piano to accommodate the university departments (UFR) of: letters, history and geography, languages, the (ESPE), the House of Languages, the House of Research and the University Library in 2015.
The , known as the Jardin du Roy within the city, is also located in this neighborhood.
thumb|The [[River Somme from the Boulevard de Beauvillé]]
Henriville neighborhood
The Henriville neighborhood was mostly built during the 19th century after the demolition of the city wall. It lies at the south of the town center. It has numerous bourgeois houses and townhouses, predominantly in brick, blending architectural styles of the period, including neoclassical, troubadour and neo-Gothic. There are also private mansions, such as the Acloque mansion and the house of Jules Verne.
<span class="anchor" id="Saint-Acheul quarter"></span>Saint-Acheul neighborhood
The Saint-Acheul neighborhood () existed before Amiens' inception, as people have lived there since prehistoric times. This is where archaeological excavations in the nineteenth century discovered prehistoric tool sets typical of the "Acheulean" prehistorical era, named after this neighborhood (also spelled Acheulian, pronounced ). Thr archaeological garden there is open to the public.
Not to be confused with the commune of Saint-Acheul situated to the north, the Saint-Acheul neighborhood is the site of a military cemetery from the First World War (1914–1918).
It also contains the Church of Saint-Acheul, the Jesuit former Saint-Acheul College and the former normal school (teacher-training college), which became the Lycée Robert-de-Luzarches. A number of famous people are buried in the former Saint-Acheul cemetery, such as the creator of Bécassine, J.P. Pinchon, and many resistance fighters. Part of the neighborhood includes a so-called English neighborhood, with typical English-style houses. At the foot of this area lie the hortillonnages, a marshy area criss-crossed by canals.
Other neighborhoods
Amiens, like other big cities, has its large HLM high-rise tower blocks:
- North of the city the neighborhoods du Pigeonnier, which is famous for its weekend market, Messenger, Mozart, Fafet-Brossolette-la Cité, Balzac, and Léo Lagrange-Schweitzer;
- Southeast of the city: Victorine-Autier, Philéas Lebesgue, Condorcet, Pierre-Rollin.
- West: Etouvie and Montières (an ecodistrict is provided in this industrial space, where there are 19th century in brick buildings).
- East: Saint-Acheul-la-Cité and the Clos de l'Avre.
These areas experience a lot of social troubles and have regularly been the place for riots. The northern neighborhoods were the scene of violent events in 1994, 1999 and 2000 (clashes between several districts of the city and between the neighbourhoods of Amiens and the districts of Creil), in 2006 and 2008 (in the wake of incidents in the Paris suburbs) and more recently in August 2012 following a conflict between youth and the police. The cost of the latest vandalism to occur in the north of Amiens would amount, according to , to between four and six million euros. These extremely violent riots caused sixteen police officers to be injured.
An extensive programme of redevelopment of these neighborhoods began recently, with demolition of HLM tower blocks and new infrastructure having been built, especially for schools. In 2009, the public transport network of the Amiens agglomeration was significantly modified.
Housing
thumb|Houses in the Saint-Leu neighborhood.
In 2017, the total number of dwellings in the municipality was 73,541, while it was 63,178 in 1999.
Among this housing, 88.7% were primary residences, 2.1% of secondary residences and 9.2% vacant housing. These dwellings were 35.6% of houses and 63.4% of apartments.
The official buildings or mansions regularly use brick façades on a sandstone base, decorated by stone window and door frames.
The Chanoines neighborhood has stone façades exclusively.
In historic areas such as the neighborhood, façades widely use wood, half-timbered or siding, and wattle and daub.
Development projects
- Amiens 2030: Amiens, in the context of the Communauté d'agglomération Amiens Métropole, is developing a master development plan called Amiens 2030. This strategic outreach project is centered around the priority issues of economic, social and cultural development of the agglomeration. The whole process of reflection will determine the development of the metropolis by 2030.
- : This flagship project for the agglomeration involves the amalgamation of units of training and research from the University of Picardie in letters, languages, history, geography, philosophy, sociology, psychology and the (ESPE) on the site of La Citadelle. It is to be set on on the outskirts of downtown. This university construction program is intended to strengthen regional competitiveness and the development of higher education and research. The project, entrusted to the Italian architect Renzo Piano, will be accessible to all inhabitants.
- ZAC Gare-la-Vallée: The project intends to strengthen Amiens in its role as the regional capital and allow the creation of a genuine business district in the heart of the city. With a budget of €157 million, the project combines tertiary activities, shops and a habitat walk from the station and the inner city. The first buildings were inaugurated in 2008. The second phase of development extended from 2012 to 2017. Under the control of the Chief Architect, Paul Chemetov, the project will accommodate 2,000 homes, of offices and two urban parks creating a visible link between downtown, the Somme and the hortillonnages.
- ZAC Intercampus: This new housing and services project in the south of the city is projected to host 1,900 dwellings by 2030. A first tranche of 850 dwellings must be delivered in 2015. Located in the immediate vicinity of the campus and the CHU d'Amiens, it will be served by a future TCSP. The ecodistrict of is projected to provide green spaces and gardens, with 60% of its total area to not be built-up. It will include of gardens.
- ZAC Paul Claudel: This new housing and services project of is located at the southern entrance to the city. Intended as a small neighborhood, it must accommodate 1,400 units and of commercial space. Designed in 4 slices, together with its inhabitants, it entered its final phase of development in 2013.
- ZAC Renancourt: This new project must ensure the development of the city to the west. Located between the Grâce Valley, the Selle Valley, the Renancourt neighborhood and its suburb, this planning area is a natural viewpoint over the city. It is also adjacent to emblematic facilities of the city: The Zenith of Amiens, the Stade de la Licorne and the . By 2018, this residential area is projected to accommodate 1,400 houses, a hotel, facilities and shops.
- Bus rapid transit (BRT): A project of three BRT lines is under consideration for commissioning in 2019, at the end of two years of work. Estimated at €85 million excluding taxes, and spanning , the project would include the construction of a new bus depot and four park and ride stops. This project follows the cancellation of a tram project, which was endorsed by the municipal team in place between 2008 and 2014.
Toponymy
The toponym is derived from the name of the local Gallic people, the Ambiani, which in the 4th century, replaced the old name of the town (the bridge on the Samara – Somme). Amiens then became the episcopal headquarters. In Picard, Amiens is called Anmyen.
Politics and administration
Municipal administration
The Amiens municipal council has 55 elected members.
As a result of the French municipal elections of 2014, the distribution of seats is as follows:
{| class="toccolours" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"
|+ Municipal council of Amiens (2014–2020)
|-
! List
! Party
! President
! Seats
! Status
|-
| Groupe "Rassemblés pour Amiens" (RPA)<br />
| UDI-UMP-MoDem
| Brigitte Fouré
| 42
| Majority
|-
| Groupe des élus socialistes<br />
| PS
| Didier Cardon
| 5
| Opposition
|-
| Groupe Europe Écologie Les Verts<br />
| EELV
| Thomas Hutin and Marion Lepresle<br />(joint presidents)
| 2
| Opposition
|-
| Groupe des élus municipaux communistes<br />
| PCF
| Jacques Lessard
| 2
| Opposition
|-
| Groupe Amiens Bleu Marine<br />
| FN
| Yves Dupille
| 4
| Opposition
|}
The cantons
Amiens is divided into seven cantons:
{| rules="all" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" style="margin:auto; border:1px solid #999;"
|- style="background:lightgrey; text-align:center;"
| Canton || Constituency || Departmental councillors|| Party|| Population || Cantonal code
|-
|Canton of Amiens-1 ||Fully within the commune of Amiens||Claude Chaidron and Dolorès Esteban||align=center|FG ||align=center|26,762 || align=center|80 06
|-
|Canton of Amiens-2 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Allonville, Bertangles, Cardonnette, Coisy, Montonvillers, Poulainville, Querrieu, Rainneville, Saint-Gratien, Villers-Bocage ||Zohra Darras and Francis Lec ||align=center|DVG – PS ||align=center| 23,827 || align=center|80 07
|-
|Canton of Amiens-3 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Aubigny, Bussy-lès-Daours, Camon, Daours, Lamotte-Brebière, Rivery, Vecquemont||Marion Lepresle and Jean-Claude Renaux ||align=center|EELV -PCF ||align=center| 27,020 || align=center|80 08
|-
|Canton of Amiens-4 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Blangy-Tronville, Cachy, Gentelles, Glisy, Longueau, Villers-Bretonneux ||Nathalie Marchand and Jean-Louis Piot || align=center|PCF – PS ||align=center| 24,853 || align=center|80 09
|-
|Canton of Amiens-5 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Boves, Cagny ||Philippe Casier and Blandine Denis ||align=center|PS – EELV ||align=center| 24,535 || align=center|80 10
|-
|Canton of Amiens-6 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Dury, Hébécourt, Rumigny, Sains-en-Amiénois, Saint-Fuscien ||Hubert de Jenlis and France Fongueuse || align=center|UDI ||align=center| 25,969 || align=center|80 11
|-
|Canton of Amiens-7 ||Formed from a part of Amiens and the communes of Pont-de-Metz, Saleux, Salouël, Vers-sur-Selles ||Margaux Delétré and Olivier Jardé || align=center|UMP – UDI ||align=center| 27,188 || align=center|80 12
|}
Deputies
Amiens is divided into two legislative districts (as of the ):
- Somme's 1st constituency (including Amiens II North-West, Amiens IV East, Amiens VIII North): François Ruffin (Picardie Debout, NUPES)
- Somme's 2nd constituency (including Amiens I West, Amiens III North-East, Amiens V South-East, Amiens VII South-West, Amiens VI South): Barbara Pompili (RE)
List of mayors
On 4 April 2014, Brigitte Fouré (IDU <small>(NC)</small>) succeeded (PS) as . Her list was in the second round on 30 March 2014 with 50.39% of the votes.
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|+ Mayors of Amiens since 1944
! Start
! End
! Name
! Party
! Other details
|-
|24 September 1944
|27 May 1950
|
|SFIO
|Industrialist, he ran the oils and fats business of "Igol". Mayor from 24 September 1944. Resigned on 27 May 1950. Councillor acting as Mayor until 7 June 1950.
|-
|7 June 1950
|7 July 1950
|
|
|Following the resignation of Maurice Vast, who was outvoted, the city was administered by a special delegation led by Eugène Jolibois.
|-
|7 July 1950
|7 May 1953
|Maurice Vast
|SFIO
|
|-
|7 May 1953
|22 March 1959
|Camille Goret
|SFIO
|Lawyer
|-
|22 March 1959
|28 March 1971
|Maurice Vast
|SFIO then DVG allied to the UNR
|
|-
|28 March 1971
|24 March 1989
|René Lamps
|PCF
|Teacher and
|-
|24 March 1989
|27 June 2002
|Gilles de Robien
|UDF-PR then UDF
|Insurance broker and loan officer. Resigned in 2002 to join the Government.
|-
|27 June 2002
|29 March 2007
|Brigitte Fouré
|UDF
|Maître de conférence in private law. Resigned on the return of Gilles de Robien.
|-
|29 March 2007
|21 March 2008
|Gilles de Robien
|UDF then NC
|
|-
|21 March 2008
|4 April 2014
|
|PS
|Researcher and teacher, specialist in the chemistry of sugars
|-
|1 April 2015
|In progress
|Brigitte Fouré
|UDI <small>(NC)</small>
|
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Judicial and administrative authorities
Amiens is a city marked by a strong judicial tradition, with the historical presence of its Court of Appeal, the , as well as all courts of first and second degree of . The Court of Appeal of Amiens has jurisdiction over the three departments of Picardy, with nine .
More recently, Amiens has become the seat of:
- The .
- An whose rulings may be to the of Douai.
- The of Picardy.
Twin towns – sister cities
Amiens is twinned with:
- Dortmund, Germany (1960)
- Görlitz, Germany (1971)
- Darlington, England, United Kingdom (1973)
<!--Mianyang - does not consider Amiens as its twin town, friendship only-->
- Tulsa, United States (2006)
Amiens also has friendly relations with Mianyang in China and Amiens in Australia. and their blason populaire is Chés maqueux d'gueugues (the eaters of nuts).
The population of Amiens has risen sharply since the mid-19th century: Its population doubled between 1850 and 1960, from 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, i.e. a gain of 50,000 people over this period of 110 years, and gaining about 30,000 others since (over 50 years only this time).
Demographic evolution
Age structure
Amiens is distinguished by the youthfulness of its population. In 2017, more than 25% of the population of the city was less than 20 years old. The rate of people of an age over 60 years (19.3%) is also lower than the national rate (25.5%) and the departmental rate (25.4%). Like national and departmental allocations, the female population of the municipality is greater in number to the male population, with a rate of 52.5%, whereas the national rate is 51.6%.
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