Paris to Modelled on London

Paris, the sprawling metropolis that is the French Capital. Sexy and chic, hidden gems in every corner, dripping with history. Calssic and contemporay architecture.


Well this could soon end. Porquoi we hear you cry over your croissant and expresso..

Monsieur Sarkosz is elisting the help of Bristish Designers to make Paris more like London.



As part of the master plan architects are proposing high-rise suburbs modelled on Croydon, south London, and an orbital railway to link them. They will encourage the middle classes to move out of the centre of Paris and ordinary working people to move in.



Central Paris has become the most densely populated centre in Europe, with little room for more housing or offices. At the same time, much of the surrounding area is a weed-choked wasteland of immigrant ghettos that regularly erupt in riots and are barely linked to the national transport grid.

One of the British team’s proposals is to create a new body modelled on Transport for London, which could run a transport system for the entire greater Paris region.

Among the ideas being considered is a suburban orbital railway, similar to London’s new Overground network, to improve links between the city’s satellite towns.
The Rogers team is also investigating proposals for reducing the city’s carbon emissions including local renewable energy plants and a congestion charge inspired by the success of London’s system.
“Trying to wean the French off their cars will be a real challenge,” said Lennart Grut, the architect leading the project for the Rogers’ practice.

“You have to get the transport right first.” The team proposes to restrict high-density urban centres to brownfield sites and is focusing on a selection of towns, including the rough suburb of Saint-Denis, that could be built up into high-rise “hubs” like Croydon, linked by an orbital railway.

This would spare the region from continued urban sprawl and help to reduce pollution from car journeys.

“There are lessons to be learnt from London’s planning system in that we’d recommend you only allow high-density developments where you have excellent transport links,” said Burdett.