The ambiguity and conflict come from there

The Grand Paris project sparked many reactions of politicians and architects themselves. It gives the public a sense of confusion while the challenge is for the capital region. Urban Planner specializing in the development of large urban areas in the Scientific Council of the Global Foundation effect, Charles Lambert outlines the conditions of success of this program.

Why the work teams of architects mandated by the Ministry of Culture have led to confusion

Communication and public consultation are constituent elements of town planning. In this field more that elsewhere, which cannot be explained to those which are intended does not exist. It is a methodological issue. The Ministry of Culture, which has appointed architects, knew enough these urban subjects, that he bound up dispensing too with the architecture. He is involved in a trap. From their side, the architects commissioned, stupefied to be questioned on a topic of this magnitude, even too numerous to be called and a mission is too short and without proposed the following day, launched by a little central on the subject Department, have not sensed the risk of deadlock.

Should be done, as many suggest, the sum 10 commissioned projects

The work of the 10 teams have the great merit of having revealed the diversity of the margins of manoeuvre for the development of a city such as Paris and its urban system. However, there is in such urban systems of very different stake levels, which require democratic, cultural and social practices separate. Despite the apparent specificity of each large city, there are specific methods of work, seen by urban planners from around the world. To apply, the negotiation between 10 projects does not part.

The project of the Grand Paris has become the Secretariat of State for the capital region, to the regret of the architects and local elected officials. What are the positive points

This project is well party. This work began with the formulation of a global vision. They looked on the wound that is land speculation, which affected all the French art cities; It is from there that are born proposals of taxation or pre-emption circular around the future new stations, that should not be confused with perimeters of unbridled urbanization. The proposal for a Christian white of a polycentric and economically specialized of Metropolitan organisation is appropriate, the aim being to make visible the centres of excellence. Then! That a severe program of new infrastructure of transportation of persons has been associated with this polycentric organization was an essential corollary. It is that the planning, it is much more than that, but the Government wanted to inject emergency in Grand Paris a component arguments for increased competitiveness against other world cities, which he considered very inadequate in the master plan prepared and coordinated by the region. The ambiguity and conflict come from there. As very rightly Jean Nouvel, planning is a political response to a political issue.

How to move forward

It must first complete the analysis and the project on four strategic points: the construction of Europe disrupts the development of urbanization between London and the Rhineland. The Grand Paris must be extended to the cities and regions in Calais at Compiègne by Amiens. Better: a Paris-London axis, as route 128 between Boston and New York, which made the development of the United States after war. It must be said how and where will be able to be achieved in the Grand Paris 1.5 million housing construction by 2030. Stocktaking official consultation of 10 teams of architects by selecting those proposals which it publicly give a strategic character. Finally, at the same time reaffirm the constitutional principle of subsidiarity by which it is, at the local level, control forms and the distillation of the changes to the current urbanization of the communes of the Grand Paris. Then, assign the 10 teams of architects 6 or 7 themes of major future, including the sustainable invented city. Immediately start discussions with the regions and neighbouring cities of Ile-de-France in the North to develop a new part of the urban system of the Grand Paris. Do not stop the current projects of the Secretary of State under the pretext of improving them yet. Verify that it would be politically not so complicated to rewrite certain chapters of the master plan in the light of the strategic themes thus meanwhile developed as early as next fall.