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PARIS IS NO POSTCARD
Aurèlie Toulemonde
A
response to Wendell Cox’s 11th Myth of Urban
Sprawl
“Myth #11: Europe Doesn't Sprawl. American urban
planners by the thousands have made overseas
pilgrimages, frequenting sidewalk cafes across the
street from the Louvre in Paris, wondering why Phoenix
or Boston looks so different. What they fail to realize
is that not even Paris is like Paris.”
True. Europe does sprawl. And Paris is no exception. But
compared to other cities of its size, it has done so in
a relatively controlled fashion. And that is what
strikes those pilgrims you talk about. Let there be no
mistake – Paris is a megalopolis and houses most of the
disadvantages that come with big cities. There are
however many things the French capital does well and
which make it a rich learning environment for urban
planners looking for smart growth ideas.
Most people who fly to France look forward to landing in
Paris as they expect to get their first glimpse of the
world-renowned city landscape. Unfortunately for them –
but luckily for city dwellers – the only thing they’ll
see is fields and less than two minutes worth of
suburbia.
The reason for this is that, up to now at least, France
has kept its farmers farming. This means that unlike
their US counterparts they haven’t been tempted to sell
their
land.
While this has a financial cost, the rewards are
undeniable. The inhabitants of Paris have been kept
close to the heart of the city. When they want the
benefits of the countryside they buy a holiday house but
there has been no trend towards transforming the country
side into a semi-urbanized nightmare.
Heavy taxes on petrol mean that people are less tempted
to drive but opt for the highly funded public rail
network: a cheaper, faster, and cleaner alternative.
But perhaps the best thing about
Paris
is the fact that it has preserved a human scale.
Everything is done to preserve local shops so that most
daily errands can be done by foot. Many downtown areas
are either closed to cars or set up so as to limit
traffic, leaving pleasant pedestrian friendly streets.
Finally, there is the value of history. Much money is
spent maintaining buildings in Paris. Instead of tearing
down – which would often be cheaper – and replacing the
old with the new, structures are renovated. This gives
people who live there the sense of belonging to
something bigger – a community that lasts over time.
Something which is often absent from new developments
where houses are clones of one another.
Paris is no postcard. It’s much better than that.
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