Urban Design
I met with urban design legend Mikael Colville-Andersen in 2015 at the launch of a new street in Copenhagen. Here is what he had to say about Istedgade in the neighbourhood of Vesterbro.
It’s no wonder Paris intrigues people: through films, the city is portrayed as place of love, romance and elegance; through history books, we are told of its role in the French revolution and the downfall of the Nazis; and through news, we are reminded of the social tensions faced by the city’s role as a cultural melting pot.
However, every time I step back into the Paris, I realise there’s something else distinct about the city. It seems to be a place where people actually sit talk, interact and socialise on the streets. At a time when cars and technology run our lives, this is a strange but incredible trait for the centre of a major city.
After a quick trip around Europe last week for a media project (...more on that later), I touched down at Paris’ Orly airport. Just two weeks after the terrorist attacks, and two days before COP21, I was pretty interested to understand what the vibe was going to be like. I imagined a city in lock-down: empty streets and eerie vibes.
As I stepped out into Saint-Lazare, there were tonnes of people talking, walking and generally hanging out. The streets were full of life and the wine was flowing.
I’ve decided to lay down a few guesses why Paris might be such a social city...
Parisians, and the French more generally, seem to have a respect for ideas, curiosity and intelligence. So, sitting about and conversing on all these things should only be natural, right?
Paris is a walking and cycling city, and its streets are filled with shops, cafes and restaurants (or as architects would call it – ‘active frontages’). This along with awesome public spaces, wide footpaths and places to sit, of course it's a place where people are going to hang out?
Believe it or not, loads of cities across the globe restrict the things that make humans healthy and cities successful. In Australia and the USA, drinking alcohol is super-restricted, but this only seems to perpetuate problems with violence. I guess in Paris, where drinking in all sorts of places is accepted and respected, this helps the streets to feel safe and naturally lively?
Of course there are loads of things that make Paris special, but in an era of increasing social isolation, it’s awesome to spend time in a big city where people of all ages seem to appreciate being able to just hang out with each other in public spaces.
It would be awesome to hear other people's thoughts. What do other people love about Paris?
"Where the hell are you?!" Since I'm late to just about everything, this wasn't an unusual text message to receive. The problem is I was also riding aimlessly through east...
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I've written once or twice before on the glass and steel enclave that is Canary Wharf, in London's east. La Défense could be regarded as the Parisian equivalent. While their histories differ significantly, their purpose is somewhat similar: they offer space to alleviate the cities from the pressure from intense commercial floorspace demand.
Apart from Montparnasse (and of course, the Eiffel Tower), Paris has - throughout history - enforced strict restrictions on building heights. During the 60s and 70s, as the economy became increasingly focused on services sectors, demand for office space boomed. As a result, La Défense attracted large-scale property development because it was able to offer the space for vertical growth.
With property demand remaining strong across Paris, solutions to the problems facing planners today are not simple. The city juggles the needs of economic and population growth with transport congestion and historic conservation.
La Défense is no quick-fix. In fact, channeling thousands of workers into this major office hub places immense pressure on city systems. However, unlike London which has recently allowed for height increases across the core, Paris refuses to relax downtown height restrictions. As London's large commercial schemes now spread from Canary Wharf right across the West End, Paris remains focused on concentrating its major office developments in La Défense. The government is supporting this with an ambitious 9 year investment plan.
Which model works best? Will Canary Wharf suffer from the inner city developments which act to siphon demand? Will La Défense fail to produce what international investors expect in a world class city?
Heading over to the La Défense precinct last week, I was impressed with the unique architecture that lines the wide pedestrian plazas. The symmetrical landscape design and interesting building shapes offer an aesthetic touch that many city's don't. But would I want to work there? Probably not.
While it is beautiful, La Défense lacks the small-grain character that is vital to urban vibrancy - a characteristic that makes central Paris so special in the first place.
Rather than a blank criticism, this is just one simple observation of a district that I believe offers immense opportunity to solve a number of urban growth problems. If Paris can get it right through Project La Defense 2015, the area will act as a wonderful example of how to balance the needs of market-driven growth with historic preservation. As London's skyline looks bound to further fragment, perhaps there are lessons to be shared in both directions.
All photos by Tom Oliver Payne.
I just got back from a few days in Paris. Perhaps the most recognisable features of the its urban landscape are its huge boulevards and symmetrical road networks.
Its large avenues, boulevard rings and urban squares are not a historical accident, but were part of a major plan to modernise the city in the 18th and 19th century with the radical plans of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Funded by Napoléon III, The Haussmann Plan completely restructured Paris, giving it its present day form. Cutting through traditional alleyways, new rationally-designed boulevards and avenues and new open spaces established the foundation of what is now one of the most popular and highly regarded urbanist features of Paris.
Haussmann took a highly militarised approach to planning and has been criticised for the demographic and social effects of his urbanism operations. Even today, he is still seen as both a 'hero' and 'destroyer of Paris'. Looking back however, it seems to me that these major changes just 150 years ago have brought significant benefits to Paris - changes that would be virtually impossible to implement and fund today. In addition to their obvious function to create public spaces and increase pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle mobility, the boulevards create a beauty that few other cities in the world possess. These shots I took over the last two days illustrate the perfect uniformity created by the Haussmann Plan.
Photos by Tom Payne.
All photos by Tom Oliver Payne
