Grand Paris Executive Summary (PDF 31MB) - Rogers Stirk Harbour ...

Promoting a new culture of urban sustainability
EXECUTIVE SUmmarY
Paris Métropole
DESIGNS FOR A METROPOLITAN PARIS OF THE FUTURE
Le Grand Pari de l’Agglomération Parisienne February 2009
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup

Introduction
Summary
To recognise world-wide ecological concerns and
likely impacts of global sustainability strategies is
an act of urban responsibility.
To ask how your city can transform itself to better
respond to a sustainable future and to commission
work to study what can be done to achieve that
objective, is an act of vision and belief.
The French Government, the City of Paris and
the Île-de-France and its communes have shown
foresight and leadership in launching this
consultation on the question of ‘le Grand Paris de
l’Avenir’ - not only in response to global ecological
issues but also in terms of socio-economic
imperatives, urban developmental priorities, the
everyday needs and quality of life of its citizens, the
creative and dynamic force of urban society.
The commissioning of this study is statement of
belief in the potential and strength of the future of
greater Paris.
It is an act of citizenship on a large scale.
The Team applauds and respects that vision.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has participated
fully in the consultation and study processes of le
Grand Paris and have debated with many expert
voices and elected and designated representatives,
in both formal and informal meetings and
presentations.
We have also participated alongside our fellow
consultant teams - their work has informed and
uplifted us.
Of neccessity, given the resources and time scale in
which to explore such a vast territory, RSHP’s work
has focused on ideas, concepts and principles and
not on fine detail - this detail must be the subject
of further studies by expert hands in focused and
specific areas.
Many of the ideas and concepts raised by our
team may appear controversial, unacceptable and
unrealisable in that the perennial obstacles of cost,
politics, socio- economic priorities and practical or
technicial difficulties block their paths.
This has always been the case - but history has
also proved that ideas, new concepts and new
paradigms do emerge, survive, blossom and add to
the fabric and the life of the city.
The impossible often becomes possible - the
unimaginable regularly becomes reality.
Metropolitan Paris has the power, the expertise and
the will to adapt to its emerging longer-term needs.
This is in evidence across the Paris region today.
Change is everywhere around us.
Paris will adapt to the challenges ahead, becoming
le Grand Paris of tomorrow, a Grand Paris better
equipped to face the ecological, socio-economic
and urban challenges of the future city.
Clear vision, good strategic thinking, high quality
design and environment, and constructive
citizenship will play a fundamental part in the
quality of life and sustainable success of le Grand
Paris.
We thank them for the participatory dissemination
of their visions during the consultation process.
We believe that the reflections of their and our
own teams will enrich and catalyse further debate,
decision-making and action on the future of le
Grand Paris.
Mike Davies CBE
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
London, February 2009
ii Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
iii

1 - Restructuring metropolitan
governance in Île-de-France
The major problem facing the Île-de-France region
is the fragmentation of its governance structure,
which prevents it from implementing strategic
action on a metropolitan scale.
The domination of the Paris metropolis by its
centre, which exerts considerable influence and
power over the whole metropolis, may reflect the
history of the city but it does not reflect its current
situation at the dawn of the 21st century.
9/11ths of the citizens of the Île-de-France region
live outside of the centre of Paris but speak only
with a fragmented voice. The City of Paris, with
its 2.1 million inhabitants, enjoys representation
through its Mayor and is therefore capable of
undertaking coordinated action inside of the ringroad.
Its clear voice also gives the City of Paris an
important influence at a regional level - which is,
perhaps, disproportionate compared to the rest of
the city.
The considerable asset in terms of the effectiveness
of the local action that the 1,280 Mayors of the Îlede-France
region represent is often drowned out by
the difficulties encountered when a strategic vision
has to be developed for an area beyond communal
borders and the local quarrels that this engenders.
The “Conseil Régional” (regional council) plays
an important role but suffers from a weak
coercive power. It has the significant challenge of
understanding and coordinating the very different
needs of rural communities located 90 km from
the centre and those of various groups living in the
heart of metropolitan Paris. Added to this a State
that, despite separating itself from some functions,
maintains a very significant presence in the Region.
It is therefore understandable why the governance
in Île-de-France is considered an administrative
“mille-feuille”, slowing down the metropolitan
action that is crucial for preparing metropolitan
Paris for the 21st century.
The three scenarios we have proposed aim to
rebalance the governance structure in Île-de-
France, making possible governance that is both
coordinated and holistic for the metropolis, and
ensuring that the voices of the metropolitan region
outside the centre are heard.
“I don’t know of any
other city where the
heart is as detached
from its limbs”
Richard Rogers
Summary
The spontaneous formation of “Communautés
d’Agglomération” (Communes grouping together)
is an effective response to these problems, as this
allows a group of municipalities to reach a critical
mass in terms of both population and influence,
thereby allowing it to have a voice that is strong
enough to be heard on a metropolitan level and
not be overwhelmed by the City of Paris.
iv Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009 2015
Historicity
A.
Expansion of the principle of
intercommunality and creation on a
long-term basis of eight “Communautés
d’Agglomération” with powers and a structure
similar to those the City of Paris has today.
Progressive disengagement of the State in the
management of regional affairs.
Democratic Integration
B.
Creation of 23 administrative entities, each
with a similar population, in the region of
Île-de-France. The City of Paris is divided up
and the areas distributed within the zone of
the “première couronne” (the départements
surrounding the City of Paris). A strong
metropolitan government strategically
coordinates the action on a regional scale.
Urban-Rural Coexistence
Île-de-France is divided into two sub-regional
governments. The urban municipalities are
separated from the rural municipalities.
Regional coordination is carried out through a
coordination committee.
C.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
v

2 - BUILDING PARIS ON PARIS
Summary
Compactness has to be the first rule of
contemporary urban design. It is a concept that
generates efficiency, interaction and urbanity.
Building the city on the city is to recognise the true
value of the land.
2009
Proximity produces efficiency, interaction and
interchange.
25 km
In terms of mobility and transport, compactness
reduces journey distances and times. Energy
costs, network losses and ecological footprint are
consequently minimised.
1850
Socially, the citizens of the metropolis are brought
together and from this proximity they will gain both
a communal and cultural benefit. The concentration
of people together gives better returns on
investments in the infrastructure, transport and
facilities.
The first step consists in precisely identifying
brownfield land. The abandoned or underexploited
sites of the city will tomorrow have an
inestimable value. These need to be developed in
a strategic way with the perspective of maximising
their long-term contribution to the metropolis.
What seems impossible today will be necessary
tomorrow.
1900
The second step consists in reinforcing a protected
green belt, which will clearly define the boundaries
of the city and limit its uncontrolled expansion.
We propose a metropolitan Paris that is more
compact, more concentrated and more efficient.
1. The urban footprint of the Paris Metropolis has spread without constraint over time. Green spaces have
been absorbed by an urban periphery with no clear boundary. The low density and long distances that
result from this are neither efficient nor sustainable over the long-term.
1965
vi Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
1,000 hectares of brown field
land in Île-de-France*
2015
2. The existing urban footprint is capable of absorbing a very considerable part of urban growth. Land
that is un- or under-used needs to be identified, and a coordinated development strategy needs to be
implemented for its inclusion and intensification.
3. The relentless expansion of the city needs to be controlled. The creation of a green belt protected by
law is a key mechanism to limit this expansion. Not only does this ensure that new developments will
be concentrated inside the existing urban footprint, but it also allows the natural heritage of the city’s
hinterland to be conserved in the long term.
* Direction Régionale de l’Équipement (Oliver, Ferber, Grimski, Millar and Nathanial “The Scale and Nature of European
Brownfields” 2005) / * 140ha de friches industrielles en Première Couronne (140ha of industrial wasteland in the “Première
Couronne”) - ECODEV May 2008
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
vii

3 - Completing the public transport
networkS of the metropolis
Some 70% of the daily commutes in the
metropolitan region today are from suburb
to suburb, by-passing the centre of the city
completely. For these citizens, travelling by car is
often the only practical transport option.
We propose an extension that will link La Défense
to the national and European high-speed train
network and that will recognise and strengthen the
important role that this business district plays in the
region.
Summary
Public transport is predominantly organised
according to a radio-centric model, which obliges
commuters to pass through the centre, causing an
overload of the inner-city networks during rush
hours.
Of all the large cities in the world, Paris has one
of the best public transport systems. However,
this system, by not taking account of the needs
of the population living outside the centre,
has not evolved in the same way as its urban
agglomeration: 70% of the population today is
poorly served by the metropolis’s public transport
network.
In the long term, this situation is not sustainable
and slows down the growth and economic
efficiency of the metropolis. The loss of time
resulting from journeys that are potentially
avoidable also has a social cost and a significant
impact on the quality of life in the city.
This link will allow interconnections with the
airports of Paris, CDG and Orly, and will link the TGV
Atlantique network to Massy, creating a new TGV
axis to the west of Paris.
In the medium term, it is also essential to address
the question of private transport “door to door” -
the car.
We put forward a series of ideas dealing with the
environmental impact and decongestion of the
urban road network, and at the same time aiming
for the necessary change towards a metropolitan
Paris that is less dependent on the car.
Finally, we are aiming to integrate freight into the
public transport network by creating multimodal
interchanges. These will be integrated into the
metropolitan armatures we are proposing.
We therefore propose complementing the radiocentric
network with a circumferential network
linking the hubs and populations of the “première
couronne”. The circumferential links will not be
identical in capacity or cost. Local underground,
tram and tram-train systems will complement each
other in order to maximise the value and impact of
investment in new systems.
In time, the rings of this network will multiply to
keep in line with the growth and densification of
the metropolis.
viii Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

AÉROPORT
DE
PARIS-ORLY
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
LE BOURGET
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
CH. DE GAULLE
AÉROPORT
DE
PARIS-ORLY
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
LE BOURGET
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
CH. DE GAULLE
Summary
2009
2020
1. Reflecting the historic importance of the City of Paris, the public transport networks are organised in
a system of radial connections. This organisation does not reflect the growth of the metropolis, nor
the fact that 70% of daily commutes do not pass through the city centre. The Francilians (living in the
Île-de-France region), poorly served by public transport are often forced to use the peripheral road
network to commute, a solution that is far from sustainable and that causes serious congestion on the
roads during rush hours. There is a corresponding negative impact on the environment and the quality
of people’s lives.
2. A massive investment in public transport networks is needed outside the centre of the metropolis. The
priority has to be given to circumferential connections, with the final objective being the harmonisation
of the services offered between the centre and the periphery.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
ix

4 - Creating a polycentric metropolitan Paris
Summary
Paris’s strength is also its biggest weakness: The
centre of the metropolis dominates the growth and
balance of the periphery.
The radiocentric structure of the city’s transport
networks penalises the metropolitan population
living outside the centre and congests its radial
arteries.
Defined in relation to a single centre, the metropolis
presents an unequal relationship between the
inner centre of Paris and the secondary hubs of
metropolitan Paris.
The movement of the population and jobs to
outside the centre requires new relationships to
be formed between Paris and its periphery at a
political, economic and social scale.
We propose a form of “compact polycentrism”,
which will concentrate growth in the main hubs
that exist already inside the “Petite Couronne”.
These hubs will be better connected, as they will
be situated at the key interchanges of a transport
network that has been enhanced and balanced out
by the circumferential links proposed.
These new polycentres will be defined not only by
their relationship with the centre but also by their
relationship with the neighbouring hubs and the
other centres of the region.
The creation of polycentres is intimately connected
with the creation of proximity, mixed use and social
diversity.
The distances to these new places of work and
urban life will be reduced.
All the elements necessary for urban life will be
available in each hub in order to ensure a mix
between work, domestic life and leisure.
At the same time, each hub will develop a distinct
character, reinforcing local identity and a feeling of
belonging that is both metropolitan and local.
A stronger, more polycentric metropolitan region
does not mean a diminished Paris. On the contrary,
Paris depends on the growth and the health of its
periphery.
x Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009
2030
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
CHARLES DE GAULLE
St Denis
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
CHARLES DE GAULLE
La Défense
St Denis
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
LE BOURGET
La Défense
AÉROPORT DE PARIS
LE BOURGET
Noisy
Noisy
Massy
AÉROPORT DE
PARIS-ORLY
Massy
AÉROPORT DE
PARIS-ORLY
1. The centre of Paris, the historic heart of the region, is so strong it continues to dominate the metropolis.
In reality, this monocentric representation of the city does not reflect the change taking place in the
metropolis – the population and economic growth is happening outside the centre.
2. The polycentric urban model recognises the importance of local centres and it is a more exact
representation of how the majority of the region’s citizens live today. The vitality of the metropolis
over the long term requires a rebalancing of the relationship between the centre and the periphery.
Polycentres will grow around the pre-existing centres, anchored to the hubs of enhanced transport
infrastructure.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xi

5 - BUILDING BALANCED COMMUNITIES
Summary
The social disparities present in metropolitan Paris
are a major handicap for the region and for France.
Communities in difficulty carry entire districts with
them into spirals of isolation and economic and
psycho-social depression.
Intervention must be taken in a concerted and
coordinated manner on a strategic level, but also
in a practical manner on the ground itself at a local
level.
This is a major challenge which exceeds the
capacity and means of the local municipalities and
the powers of a single communal mayor.
An ambitious national project is required, a “New
Deal”.
It is not a case of displacing communities and
pushing them further from the centre. It is a case of
sensitive integration - “Addition not substitution”
This involves the use of strategies relating to
proximity, social mix and connectivity.
Local economies need to be stimulated and help is
needed to develop local and specialised markets.
The physical isolation of some of the deprived
housing estates can directly generate the feeling of
separation that some communities experience in
relation to the rest of French society and create an
insurmountable gap between these communities
and the wealth that exists elsewhere in the Paris
region.
We propose a Social Action Plan:
••
Encourage stable communities
••
Promote long-term links at the heart of the
community between local public sector workers
and the inhabitants of the deprived areas
by rewarding those who work with difficult
communities in highly exposed jobs - such as
police officers, teachers, health care workers,
local politicians and civil servants – with an
increase in salary and status.
••
Recognise and support the active members
of these communities and those who are
considered as role models.
••
Encourage support networks
••
Make education a priority through the creation
of exemplary schools that are open to all and
adapted to the real needs of the communities
they serve. Include technical training and the
teaching of appropriate subjects and languages.
••
Reward regular school attendance
••
Ensure good transport access to support links to
jobs, other communities and the city as a whole.
••
Enable access to local jobs, particularly for
young people
••
Develop a community police service using local
police stations. Promote the local recruitment of
police officers and encourage the development
of long-term relationships as well as the creation
of familiarity with the communities they serve.
••
Provide the community with leisure facilities
and places to meet e.g. sports facilities, music
academies, cultural centres and community and
training centres
••
Encourage communication between different
generations
••
Ensure that the local socio-cultural facilities
are affordable and accessible for the local
population
••
Improve the quality of public spaces in the
deprived areas
••
Consult the community on its needs
••
Offer quality architecture in the deprived areas
that expresses respect and the desire to invest
••
Densify the areas in question through a prudent
process of intensification
••
Provide housing that is adapted to demographic
change, including large appartments for large
families and/or families comprising several
generations
••
Provide good night-time lighting and ensure
the safety of the inhabitants when they are out
at night
••
Keep the buildings well-maintained and
modernise them to meet the changing needs of
the community
••
Improve the existing buildings as part of the
changes required by the “Factor 4” energy and
environmental impact initiatives
••
Transform and improve existing buildings - e.g.
housing blocks Vassal and Lacaton in “Bois-le-
Prêtre” tower and the Roland Castro project in
Lorient
••
Put quality private housing next to and in
between other more affordable housing.
••
React quickly to signs of lack of maintenance
and dilapidation
••
Provide examples of opportunities and progress
••
Respect all French citizens whatever their
cultural origins
••
Ensure the citizens of the suburbs are visible
• • Citizenship must evolve to allow the
cohabitation of different feelings of belonging
without these being divisive.
xii Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009
2030
25% - most advantaged
25%
25%
25% - most deprived
The riots of 2005
Social Action Plan
1. Social disparities are very marked in metropolitan Paris. The above map shows the classification of builtup
areas in the municipalities of Île-de-France in relation to an index combining rates of unemployment,
education, income and distribution of employment. The map shows that the “richest region in Europe”
has worrying concentrations of poverty, unemployment and social exclusion, in particular in the
north-east of the city. The “ghettoisation” of communities can occur when physical, ethnical and social
isolation become strongly ingrained. These divisions represent an unacceptable cost for French society.
2. It is essential to correct the divisions that exist within metropolitan Paris. We propose a strategy that
combines investment and integration – adding rather than replacing – in the most disadvantaged
zones. By physically, socially and culturally integrating the communities who live in these zones with
the rest of the city, it will be possible to capitalise on the economic and social contributions that these
citizens can contribute. Even though each district has its own different problems and needs, it seems
clear to us that investment, connectivity, mixed-use, diversity and opportunities are key mechanisms.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xiii

6 - REBALANCING THE REGIONAL ECONOMY
Summary
In order to stay competitive, maintain productivity
and ensure equal access to opportunities is
provided, metropolitan Paris must invest in
education, attract an international, young and
diverse work force, increase the standards of quality
of life and generate an innovative and flexible
environment for business.
Metropolitan Paris must be innovative and
effective, equipping the city with advantages in
terms of resources.
Increasingly, the various centres must not only be
places that offer access to work, but they must also
offer a high quality of life.
The key elements allowing the metropolis of
the 21st century to ensure work for everyone,
balance the economy and maintain productivity
are education, demographic excellence, quality
of life, a diversified economic base, an innovative
environment, small and medium-sized businesses,
drivers of change and accessibility:
Education - The education system must first of
all avoid all segregation and guarantee upward
social mobility. An urban society needs to have the
ability to adapt to significant and often unforeseen
changes in the economic base of the city.
Demographic excellence - Migration constitutes
the basis for cultural diversity, openness and
tolerance, which itself constitutes a great potential
for innovation. More specifically, increasing the
number of foreign students and researchers
promotes essential links between the city and the
global economy.
A diversified economic base - Paris has a diversified
economic base, which is the foundation for a
balanced economy. That said, the unbalanced
concentration of high value-added sectors to the
west of the metropolis is a weakness.
Innovative environment - Innovation is the driving
force of the economy in the long-term. To make
the city a suitable environment for innovation,
metropolitan Paris has to aim for the density and
proximity of activities (including research and
industry) in its periphery, while at the same time
guaranteeing services and access. A variety of
origins and cultures contributes to innovation.
The segregation that exists in the metropolis is
therefore a weakness.
Small and medium-sized businesses - Metropolitan
Paris has to support and promote small and
medium-sized businesses, which have an ability
to innovate that is above average. Start-ups and
districts that encourage innovation with flexible
and well-connected spaces and properties are
important.
Drivers of change - We believe that metropolitan
Paris is ideally positioned to develop new industries
for a sustainable 21st century: New technologies
relating to energy and ecotech (France already has
an international reputation in this area) form part
of a sector with significant potential growth. New
green transport - a new project for a zero-carbon
car programme for Île-de-France perhaps - is
another.
Accessibility - Transport infrastructure remains
a top priority. The act of recognising the role of
the city as a place of good accessibility must not
be underestimated. Metropolitan Paris needs to
rectify the weaknesses of the Parisian transport
network outside the centre. The multimodal
network and systems of transport need to
be strengthened. A compact and polycentric
metropolitan Paris will lead to proximity and the
economic advantages this brings. Direct access
to a metropolitan network of fibre-optic cables
will not only provide “social” access but it will also
form the basis for enterprise start-ups and local
entrepreneurship. There is no economic future,
and even less of a sustainable future, without
Internet access.
Heavy Industries industries lourdes
Administrative, Administratif, résidentiel
residential
Mechanical Mécanique, engineering, industries diverses miscellaneous industries
Wholesale, Commerce transport de gros, transports
Industrial, Industries, wholesale commerce de gros
Miscellaneous Industries diverses industries
Automotive, Automobile, aeronautical, aéronautique, mechanical mécanique
Consultancy, Conseil, nouvelles new technologies, R&D R & D
Upper Tertiaire tertiary supérieur
Luxury,
Luxe, tourisme,
tourism,
technologies
information and
de l’information et
de la communication
communication technologies
Quality of life - Quality of life is increasingly
considered to be a critical resource. Metropolitan
Paris has some very strong advantages: Its heritage,
it lively urban context and its culture. However,
metropolitan Paris has to face up to its weaknesses
- its incomplete public transport network in the
suburbs, its problems of social and ethnic exclusion
and its disparities outside of the city centre.
xiv Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

y
Summary
2009
2030
and domestic services
industries divers
logistics
industries divers
rs
d aeronautical industries
ustries
w technologies, R & D
nce, consulting,
ies, luxury goods, tourism and R & D
1. This regional map of job sector concentrations shows both diversity and specialisation. There are
numerous productive local synergies. Nevertheless, the high value-added sectors are predominantly
situated in the centre and to the west of the city, with significant social consequences.
2. We propose a programme of investment and support for new green technologies – in the energy,
transport and construction industries – of which the aim is to generate growth and jobs throughout the
entire city, and in particular in the most disadvantaged zones. France is capable of becoming a global
leader in the these new high-tech sectors.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xv

7 - Bridging THE PHYSICAL BARRIERS OF THE CITY
Summary
The Périphirique is just one of the many large
infrastructural axes that divide metropolitan
Paris. Metropolitan Paris is divided up by the large
transport arteries that serve the city.
When you compare the centre of Paris with the
zones on the other side of the ring-road, it is
clear that the centre enjoys an urban fabric that is
continuous and permeable, whereas outside the
centre the landscape is fragmented by ruptures and
gaps.
These discontinuities have a very profound effect.
Permeability plays an important role in a district’s
ability to adapt to change.
The ability for people and goods to move around
without being restricted and with a wide choice of
routes ensures that urban mobility systems remain
robust.
Aside from the hindrance to physical mobility that
they represent, large ruptures in the fabric of the
city reinforce the social and political divisions.
These barriers (created by big infrastructural
elements such as motorways, dual-carriageways,
railways, rivers and canals) isolate and split up areas
of land, limiting their ability to reinvent themselves,
their development and the synergies generated
through proximity and continuity in the urban
fabric.
Transport connections must be created, re-created
and restored by making the existing divisions
disappear.
We propose reoccupying the under-occupied areas
that currently make up the lost territories of the
metropolis.
Above the railways, which will be maintained and
reinforced, we propose creating new pathways for
pedestrians and cycling lanes. A linear park will
connect the centre to the suburbs, flying over the
ring-road and reforging lateral links.
The ring-road also has to disappear, or at least
become more permeable and green (be no more
than a historic trace). Its re-development presents
challenges but also opportunities.
xvi Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009
2030
Metropolitan Paris is divided up by large infrastructural axes serving the city. These physical barriers hinder
mobility. This impermeability severely restricts the economic activity and the opportunity for reinvention
and adaptation of the districts marked by these divisions. The physical separation reinforces the social and
administrative divisions that significantly contribute to the fragmented identity of metropolitan Paris.
To build a metropolitan Paris that has solidarity, it is vital to mesh together the fragments of the city
separated by railways and motorways. Under-occupied spaces need to be reoccupied in order to increase
the value of the land and catalyse growth. New passageways running alongside and across these barriers
will unite the previously separated communities and encourage the creation of new social spaces. Many
of the big railway lines are of a metropolitan scale - linking the centre to the periphery - and can become
new metropolitan axes. These linear frameworks can accommodate new facilities and parks as well as
new urban infrastructure, which will have the task of connecting the city as it grows and has to face the
challenges of the 21st century.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xvii

8 - INTEGRATING NATURE INTO THE MeTROPOLIS
THROUGH An integrated open-space network
We propose:
Summary
••
A green belt to limit the uncontrolled expansion
of the physical footprint of the metropolis.
••
A green belt as a means to preserve
the natural heritage of the region and
provide a sustainable natural reserve
for the metropolis in the long term.
••
A network of ecological corridors, linking the
region’s important natural spaces and ensuring
the continuity of biospheres and the migration
of species. The barriers that limit these
movements will be overcome.
••
A new forest holding a million trees will
transform the areas that were in the past
disadvantaged by the acoustic shadow of the
airport Roissy CDG. This will become a new
leisure destination for the population of the
north of the city and a natural park. There is the
possibility of harnessing this new carbon sink
and supplying biomass to the new cogeneration
centres of the metropolis.
••
New green arteries linking the rural and
natural “Region” with the urban city centre by
passing above the railway lines following new
linear parks (see “Metropolitan Armatures”).
••
New unbroken pathways for pedestrians
and cycling lanes to enable citizens of the
city to move around safely, serrounded
by vegetation and shaded by trees.
••
New public networks in the city centre,
linking the existing open spaces of
the metropolis with the new.
••
Re-connection of the banks of the Seine and of
the metropolis’s canals, providing new corridors
designed to enable continuous pedestrian
movement along these “blue networks”.
••
Transformation of the big boulevards in the
centre of Paris into green axes, giving the
priority to walking, cycling and public transport.
• • The idea of transforming the under-optimised
surface area of the rooftops of Paris into a
large green carpet, creating approximately
391km2 of green rooftop space and provide
significant benefits in terms of well-being,
temperature, ecology and rain-water collection.
xviii Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009
2030
The hinterland of the Île-de-France is a natural and rich agricultural space. Paris has some magnificent
parks. Nevertheless, the unique urban character of the city – and of the centre in particular – can also make
Paris seem hard. Parisians spend on average 57 nights per year at a distance of more than 100 km from the
city, which suggests a need to escape. For many, urban life is often disconnected and disengaged from
nature, which feels abstract and distant from daily life.
We propose a green belt that will limit the expansion of the city and give it clearly defined boundaries. The
green belt will also help to preserve the natural heritage of the region. New or re-established ecological
corridors, connecting the region’s natural reserves to its forests, will encourgage the movement of species
and the preservation of biodiversity. These regional networks will be linked to linear parks that will bring
nature to the city and provide access to precious green spaces. These will connect in turn to the green
boulevards of the centre of Paris, which will form an integral part of the new urban network of open-space
with its shaded pathways for pedestrians and cyclists.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xix

9 - REDUCING THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF
METROPOLITAN PARIS
A new metabolic approach needs to be developed
with regard to the consumption and production
cycles of the metropolis.
We need to reduce, re-use and recycle as part of a
new culture of the intelligent use of resources. We
need integrated systems and a new infrastructure
to equip and prepare the city for the environmental
and energy challenges facing the metropolis in the
21st century.
With regard to energy, the two sides of this
approach are the diversification of energy sources
and the reduction of the demand for energy.
As far as the diversification of energy sources is
concerned, cogeneration and local production of
energy are essential.
The reduction in the demand for energy depends
on a variety of interventions aiming above all to
transform and renovate the existing building stock.
The other action to be taken is the development
of a new culture of conscious and reduced
consumption. Developing a carbon economy that
values the true cost and environmental impact of
our way of life is essential.
920 million tonnes of clean water
3.7 million tonnes of food
62 million tonnes of oxygen
7.5 million m3 of hydrocarbons
307 million kWh of primary energy
Summary
53 million tonnes of CO2
8.7 million tonnes of waste
45,000 tonnes of SO2
144,000 tonnes of NO2
xx Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
100% no change
75%
“Facteur 4”
50%
25%
energy consumption*
0%
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
*or CO 2
Transforming the range of energy sources
available: In accordance with the requirements
of the “Facteur 4” targets, a new range of energy
facteur 4 - Paris Métropole:
Comment faire?
sources has to be considered. Local energy
production centres, where network losses are kept
to a minimum, are a key tool. District heating plants,
equipped with cogeneration stations will play a
crucial role in the production of heat and electricity
with zero carbon emissions. Current estimations
up to 2030 indicate that wind energy and energy
produced from cogeneration will increase, whereas
less energy will be produced from nuclear power
sources. If this trend continues up to 2050, there
will be excellent opportunities in metropolitan
Paris to install large-scale wind and photovoltaic
installations. These two technologies are excellent
for producing local electricity, thereby reducing the
waste that is lost though its transmission.
A reduced demand for energy: At present, the vast
majority of Paris’s building stock does not meet the
environmental standards of the 21st century. The
situation can and must change.
In order to achieve a sustainable future for Paris,
existing buildings must be renovated and new
buildings must achieve high levels of energy
efficiency.
New technologies and new approaches can
contribute to this but these changes need to be
accompanied by changes in behaviour.
A new culture of urban sustainability has to
emerge.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xxi

10 - INVESTING IN QUALITY DESIGN
Summary
City districts should be lively, safe and beautiful
places. Not only for aesthetic but for economic
reasons too.
Because different cities are in competition with
each other to attract migrating multinational
companies, they use their qualities as attractive and
vibrant places to live as key selling arguments.
More importance than ever needs to be placed on
the design and management of city infrastructure
and open-space.
Well-designed and well-maintained public spaces
should be at the heart of every community. These
form the foundations for public interaction and
social integration and provide the feeling of
attachment to a place, which is essential for civic
pride.
Action:
••
Support model projects and good practice.
••
Firmly integrate and anchor the design quality
of buildings and public spaces into the ethos
of public institutions. Encourage urban design
quality as a collective objective.
••
Review the financing agreements of all public
organisations concerned to make design and
development essential components of the
agreements, and ask for regular reports at all
stages of a project.
••
Improve the quality of the independent advice
on architecture and urban planning made
available to ministers and mayors.
••
Give a pledge of quality for the full duration of
urban planning projects. For larger construction
projects, sponsor an overall urban development
plan, put out calls to tender for each individual
construction project on the basis of a design
proposal and not just a financial offer, and
evaluate the submissions not only according to
short-term financial considerations but above all
according to the quality of the design and the
quality/price ratio in the long-term.
••
Develop mechanisms that ensure public
participation and involvement in the
formulation of an urban vision. Promote the
participation of professional intermediaries
supporting community groups and qualified
designers in the key stages of the project
development and its implementation, in
collaboration with the land owners, the
developers and the project owners.
••
Define new design guidelines for civil and
traffic engineers that give priority to pedestrian
needs and to a safe, high-quality environment
without imposing solutions that are rigid and
too complicated.
••
Involve public sector services companies at the
start of the urban planning process in such a
way that they assume the responsibility for a
strategic approach rather than having to sort
out problems in an emergency.
••
Entrust teams of experts with the task of
reviewing in detail the education process
that professional designers follow and
recommending changes in order to provide
a more integrated approach to planning,
architecture, landscape development and
the development of social and ecological
environments.
xxii Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
Quality of design is essential for the creation of a lively and beautiful city
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xxiii

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION -
Metropolitan armatures
Our main project for metropolitan Paris is made
up of a number of armatures on a metropolitan
scale that incorporate all the key objectives we
have identified.
Strategic Governance – The frameworks we
propose cross through boundaries. They are
“transcommunal” and “transpériphérique”
measures that require close coordination between
existing political and administrative bodies. Their
development requires the coordination and
agreement of authorities responsible for transport,
infrastructure and public facilities. Implementing
these proposals would put to the test a new kind of
metropolitan governance.
Building the City on the City - The areas of
land for intervention that we are proposing are
currently occupied by railway lines, but their longterm
metropolitan value is under-optimised. We
propose intensification by superposing onto these
areas infrastructure (energy, treatment of waste
and water, intermodal freight platforms), public
amenities, parks and new connections. The aim is to
invert the value ratio of sites bordering railway lines
by building new housing, offices, shops and social
venues which will help pay for the transformation
and densification of these sites.
Completing the Metropolitan Public Transport
Network- Proposing the construction of new
structures on top of already existing railway lines
is in no way to suggest that the expansion of
the railway network needs to be limited. On the
contrary, such intervention would lead to the
opportunity to create new tracks in super- and
juxtaposition and new interconnections between
new and existing networks. Pedestrian ways and
cycling lanes would complement the structures on
the surface.
Creating a Polycentric Metropolitan Paris - Our
frameworks will strengthen links in the “première
couronne” and join together communities that
are currently separated by large scale gaps in
infrastructure. These hubs in the “première
couronne” will benefit from investment, new
parks and facilities, which will help rebalance the
concentration of assets in the city centre.
Creating Balanced Communities - Our
frameworks represent significant investment
in areas that house, in a lot of cases, the most
disadvantaged populations of metropolitan Paris.
This not only represents a show of faith in these
communities, but it will also have a catalytic
impact as communities are rebuilt around these
axes equipped with green spaces and new public
facilities - day nurseries, nursing and retirement
homes, cultural centres etc.
Rebalancing the Regional Economy - This
investment in the north-east of metropolitan
Paris will stimulate the local economy. Improved
transport services and amenities will bring
considerable added value to these transformed
areas, attracting creative and dynamic sections of
the urban population.
Bridging the Physical Barriers - These frameworks
will knit together a divided urban fabric by creating
new links and new unbroken, permeable pathways.
Green pedestrian axes will take you from the
centre of Paris to the boundaries of the metropolis
through this new urban landscape.
Integrating Nature into the City through a
Network of Metropolitan Green Spaces - The
framework that we are proposing to the north of
the Gare du Nord train station is a new linear park,
structured by the axis leading from the Gare du
Nord beyond the junction of the canal and the
Seine in St. Denis. New spaces will link up with this
green corridor, which, passing beyond the ringroad,
will in turn link these to the network of public
spaces in the centre of Paris.
Reducing the Ecological Footprint of
Metropolitan Paris – Eco-armatures will
accommodate centres that combine cogeneration
plants with waste treatment centres, water
treatment centres and renewable energy
installations. The integration and combination of
these facilities into and with intermodal freight
platforms will generate considerable benefits in
terms of efficiency and will provide the long-term
infrastructural framework needed to prepare the
city for the environmental and energy challenges of
the 21st century.
Investing in Design Quality– These frameworks
will provide the opportunity for model architecture
and landscape planning along a new metropolitan
axis.
Summary
A New Northern Axis - Just one of many possible
“Metropolitan Armatures”
xxiv Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009

Summary
2009
2030
Urban Ruptures - The railway arteries of today
Metropolitan Armatures - Urban interventions to
prepare the city for the post-Kyoto era.
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners / London School of Economics / Arup
February 2009
xxv

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