{"id":33457,"date":"2021-03-02T05:30:11","date_gmt":"2021-03-02T04:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=33457"},"modified":"2021-02-28T18:38:30","modified_gmt":"2021-02-28T17:38:30","slug":"ever-changing-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/ever-changing-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"Ever-changing Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris, like most big cities, is ever changing. And with the JO de 2024<\/a> on the horizon, ever-changing Paris is getting ready to change again!<\/p>\n

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A remarkably unified city…<\/h3>\n

For all of its history of change, Paris is really a truly remarkably harmonious and unified city. Much of that can be attributed to the work of Napol\u00e9on III and one Georges Eug\u00e8ne Haussmann, dit baron Haussmann, pr\u00e9fet de la Seine de 1853 \u00e0 1870. Together these hommes politiques<\/strong>1<\/a><\/sup>politicians<\/em>, lit. political men<\/em><\/span> oversaw a wholesale redesign of 19th century Paris right down to the mobilier urbain<\/strong>2<\/a><\/sup>urban landscape<\/em> (lit. urban furniture\/furnishings<\/em>)<\/span> (from the fameux kiosques<\/strong>3<\/a><\/sup>famous news stands<\/em><\/span> right down to les grilles qui prot\u00e8gent la base des arbres<\/strong>4<\/a><\/sup>grates protecting the base of trees<\/em><\/span>).<\/p>\n

In under 20 years, Paris was transformed with:
\nSoixante-dix voies nouvelles,<\/strong>5<\/a><\/sup>70 new roads<\/em><\/span>
\nNeuf ponts cr\u00e9\u00e9s ou \u00e9largies,<\/strong>6<\/a><\/sup>9 enlarged or new bridges<\/em><\/span>
\n40 000 immeubles de construits,<\/strong>7<\/a><\/sup>40,000 buildings built<\/em>; almost half of the buildings standing in Paris today are from this building boom!<\/span>
\n80 000 arbres de plant\u00e9s!<\/strong>8<\/a><\/sup>80,000 trees planted<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Pour aller plus loin … <\/strong>this fun Karambolage from Arte<\/a> was the source of much of the above. You can also check out this excellent documentary film<\/a> from Des Racines et des Ailes.<\/div>\n

… Adapting to the 21st Century!<\/h3>\n

Major changes to the city have historically not always been well received. From the Eiffel Tower9<\/a><\/sup>Originally only intended to stand for 20 years, the Tower – now one of world’s most recognized and most visited monuments – was protested even before it was built!<\/span> to the Centre Pompidou<\/a> to the Pyramide du Louvre (see below), the French often take time to warm to the new.<\/p>\n

But as much as Parisians love their city, keeping up with the times requires change. Responding to a new economy, a crowded city, and an impending major moment on the global stage has resulted in a spate of new planned enhancements and additions.<\/p>\n

A new look for la tour Montparnasse<\/h5>\n

One of the less popular 20th century additions to the Paris skyline was the tour Montparnasse. At a little more than 200 m tall, the black glass office tower, built in the early 1970’s, was roundly criticized for its lack of harmony with the rest of the city and skyline10<\/a><\/sup>The tower was so unpopular that it resulted in an almost 40 year ban on buildings of more than 7 stories anywhere inside the city limits!<\/span>.<\/p>\n

After almost half a century, the tower and surrounding area are soon to get a major makeover as part of the ambitious Demain Montparnasse<\/em> project that seeks to “faire le trait d\u2019union entre la tradition, l\u2019histoire de Montparnasse, incarn\u00e9es notamment par la culture et la vie artistique, et son avenir, le renouveau de Paris, qui ambitionne de redevenir la capitale de la modernit\u00e9<\/strong><\/a>“11<\/a><\/sup>connect the history and traditions of Montparnasse, notably its culture and artistic life, with its future as part of a renovated Paris, seeking to once again be the capital of modernity<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Read more about the plans here<\/a> and be sure to check out the accompanying video to see a virtual tour of the new tour<\/strong>12<\/a><\/sup>tower<\/em><\/span>. Or check out this great\u00a0reportage\u00a0<\/strong>for an overview of the history and future of the tower.<\/p>\n