Aubière (; Auvergnat: Aubèira) is a commune located in the department of Puy-de-Dôme in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeast France. As of 2017 its population was 10,061. The town is home to the Cézeaux campus of the University of Clermont Auvergne, a substantial number of sports teams, and a large commercial area. Geography Location Aubière is located south of Clermont-Ferrand in the heart of the Puy-de-Dôme department, 3.7 km south-east of the city of Clermont-Ferrand. It borders the villages of Beaumont, Romagnat, Pérignat-lès-Sarliève, and Cournon-d’Auvergne. The Artière river, a tributary of the Allier, flows through the village from west to east. The river, a large part of which is underground, can flood at any moment. The quality of its water deteriorates when it converges with the Gazelle river, one of its tributaries. Transportation Roads A75 autoroute with two exits Metropolitan road 2009 (formerly route nationale 9) Other metropolitan roads: 21 (towards Romagnat), 69, 212 (towards Cournon-d'Auvergne and Billom), 777, 805 Railways The nearest railway stations are located in the neighbouring commune of Clermont-Ferrand: the Gare de Clermont-Ferrand and the Gare de Clermont-La Pardieu. Public transit Since August 27, 2007, Aubière has contained three stops (Cézeaux Pellez, Campus, and Margeride) of the Clermont-Ferrand tramway. There are four bus lines (3, 12, 13, and 21). Town planning A local urban master plan was approved by the municipal council on April 8, 2008. Accommodation As of 2017, the commune numbered 5,862 housing units, compared to 5,196 in 2007. Among these, 90.1% were primary residences, 1.9% secondary residences, and 8.0% vacant residences. 50.2% of the residences were houses and 45.9% apartments. The percentage of primary residences owned by their residents was 48.9%. The percentage of empty HLM (habitation à loyer modéré), or rent-controlled housing, was 10.2%. History The earliest traces of the commune date back to the 13th century, when it was within the outer walls of a castle. Until the end of the 19th century, Aubière featured a sizeable winemaking industry, which ended after the phylloxera epidemic. Proof of that is the fact that most of the houses in the village contain a wine vat, and numerous wine cellars were built on the north and south edges of the Artière valley. Today there is only one wine producer in the village. The distinctive feature of these wine cellars is that they were constructed above ground because the water that runs under the houses