rogers stirk harbour + partners: grand paris proposal 2030

grand paris proposal 2030, model of concept frames by rogers stirk harbour + partners image © rogers stirk harbour + partners

london firm rogers stirk harbour + partners revealed their plans for their vision for greater paris 2030 last week. working together with london school of economics and arup they proposed 10 principles for metropolitan paris.

listed below are their principles: 1. to restructure metropolitan governance in ile-de-france we propose 3 scenarios that seek to rebalance the structure of governance in the ile de france, to enable metropolitan governance that is both coordinated and holistic.

2. build paris on paris proximity generates efficiency, interaction and exchange. one needs to build the city on the city through a strategy of insertion and intensification. complete

3. the metropolitan transport network we propose that the existing radial routes be completed with a circumferential network that connects the poles and the populations of the ‘première couronne’, providing for 70% of the population of the city that is currently poorly served. this sustainable public transport strategy will be complemented by a new tgv link to the west of the city and a new approach to private vehicular transport.

4. create a polycentric metropolitan paris we propose a compact polycentricity that concentrates growth on existing centres within the ‘proche couronne’. these nodes are located at the key transport interchanges of a reinforced transport network that also provides direct linkage between these strengthened metropolitan poles.

5. build balanced communities the social disparities that characterise paris métropole are a major handicap for both the region and for france. we propose a social action plan with interventions and coordinated investment focussing especially in the most disadvantaged areas of the city.

6. rebalance the regional economy to remain competitive, to stay productive and to ensure equal opportunities for all, paris métropole needs to invest in education and attract a young, dynamic and international workforce. we propose a regional economic action plan based in part on the promotion of new ‘green’ technologies, high-added value employment strategically distributed within the region.

7. bridge the physical barriers of the city the physical ruptures in the fabric of the city reinforce the social, political and economic divisions. the barriers created by the peripherique and the under-optimised land currently occupied by the railways need to be erased and transformed to generate a permeable urban fabric.

8. create a metropolitan open space network we propose a greenbelt in order to limit the unconstrained expansion of the city footprint, a network of ecological corridors linking the important natural spaces of the region and green arteries that bring nature into the heart of the city. within the centre, the transformation of the boulevards will complete this open space network.

9. reduce the environmental footprint of metropolitan paris it’s necessary to develop a new metabolic approach to the cycles of production and consumption in the city. one needs to reduce, re-use and recycle within a new culture that values resources more intelligently. the two main axes of this approach are diversification in the supply of energy coupled with a reduction in demand.

10. invest in high-quality design the quality of a design makes a critical diff erence in the success or failure of an environment. it is a factor of fundamental importance. well-conceived and well maintained public spaces need to be at the heart of every neighbourhood. they form the foundations of community interaction and social integration.

clichy-sur-bois: create a mixed neighborhood image © rogers stirk harbour + partners