If you liked this piece, a good read is, "Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris" by Graham Robb.
Old Paris Is No More
61–70 of 107 posts
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#62I don't understand this romantic idea of Olden Times. I doubt any Parisian misses dying of simple dieases or just not having access to emergency care. I don't understand why people would ever romanticize with the old days. Sure, we ought to remember our history but we don't need to romanticize it. It was awful.
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Re: Old Paris Is No More
#63One difference between Haussmann and others is that his buildings turned out to create one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In contrast, 20's century urbanism projects - even on a smaller scale - are almost always considered a failure ex post. In Paris itself, walk yourself through the Les Olympiades area, from Tolbiac down to Porte d'Italie, if you like an impressive testament to that fact. Some other favo…
By whom? It's a matter of perspective. If you're into architecture and design you'll care more about the practicality and function of the building than it's exterior appearance. A sterile exterior then becomes an indicator that the budget went into what matters most. In my personal opinion, the exterior of buildings (excluding windows) should all be considered public space, they should be open for decoration, like st…
>By whom?
By those who live in them and by those that visit them.
Those who design them and those who write design critiques don't matter at all, and should not even have a voice (at least not one anybody should care about). The best buildings, people take pride living in, and coming from abroad to admire, were built that people we don't even know their name, many even designed and built by craftsmen (as opposed to university-studied architects).
>If you're into architecture and design you'll care more about the practicality and function of the building than it's exterior appearance
The exterior appearance is part of the practicality and function of the building. A bleak appearance can crush the soul, destroy any community pride, and even make people physically ill. Humans are not cattle (though even cattle deserve better).
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#64Contrary to what the article says, Haussmann isn’t really a controversial figure in France and much of what makes Paris one of the most beautiful and visited cities in the world is thanks to the architecture he imposed, something that few, if any, modern urbanist can claim.
>Haussmann isn’t really a controversial figure in France
Today, when the change has settled down, and nobody lives that remembers before him, no. At his time, and for a while, he was.
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Today (because we forgot the cost) Or because we think it was worth it, in the end.
> Or because we think it was worth it, in the end. This. I mean if the people put up with the problems caused by the new construction, I believe they deserve credit for being pro-civilization. Not the "oh no, look their old world is gone" nonsense. Surely nobody rebuilt the city for garnering sympathy.
>Not the "oh no, look their old world is gone" nonsense.
Taking for granted that that is nonsense, is the same error, a blind belief that any novelty is better than what it replaces.
There were political motivations behind the change (and impact on the population at the time) not just some noble march towards better.
To give a simple example, bulldozing down Venice to build some Mall-ridden monstrosity that looks like 20000 other places in the world, would not be better in any way, and people would be right to lament about that "old world" being gone.
(Of course many moderns, especially Americans having no history, live in a perpetual now, and can't put things into perspective. They judge all things like mobile phone models, the newer the better).
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#66One difference between Haussmann and others is that his buildings turned out to create one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In contrast, 20's century urbanism projects - even on a smaller scale - are almost always considered a failure ex post. In Paris itself, walk yourself through the Les Olympiades area, from Tolbiac down to Porte d'Italie, if you like an impressive testament to that fact. Some other favo…
Poundbury in Dorchester (UK) was nothing but plain grass in the 1990'ies. Now Poundbury is a city that has generated more new jobs than new homes. The price for real estate is 30% higher than neighbouring cities. And they have yet to experience a traffic accident. Beautiful walkable cities is good for business.
The last time we drove through Poundbury on a summer weekend, the town (it's not a city) was a ghost town. We tried to find somewhere pleasant to have lunch - i.e. open and not fast food - and utterly failed. It has a central town square with nothing going on. I'm sure the rest of Dorchester is interesting and full of life, but Poundbury wasn't.
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#67Of course, old Paris is no more ! I live near Paris, and I go in this town only when I am forced to. Residential intensification, insecurity (pickpockets in the metro), migrants, Paris nowadays has nothing to do with the romantic vision of American people. Real Parisians now live in the suburb, there is some very nice towns in the suburbs. (Others not so nice, it depends where you go).
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#68Of course, old Paris is no more ! I live near Paris, and I go in this town only when I am forced to. Residential intensification, insecurity (pickpockets in the metro), migrants, Paris nowadays has nothing to do with the romantic vision of American people. Real Parisians now live in the suburb, there is some very nice towns in the suburbs. (Others not so nice, it depends where you go).
Which suburbs are nice?
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#69Of course, old Paris is no more ! I live near Paris, and I go in this town only when I am forced to. Residential intensification, insecurity (pickpockets in the metro), migrants, Paris nowadays has nothing to do with the romantic vision of American people. Real Parisians now live in the suburb, there is some very nice towns in the suburbs. (Others not so nice, it depends where you go).
The article is about the 18th and 19th centuries.
Re: Old Paris Is No More
#70Of course, old Paris is no more ! I live near Paris, and I go in this town only when I am forced to. Residential intensification, insecurity (pickpockets in the metro), migrants, Paris nowadays has nothing to do with the romantic vision of American people. Real Parisians now live in the suburb, there is some very nice towns in the suburbs. (Others not so nice, it depends where you go).
The article is about the 18th and 19th centuries.
So little has changed in the process then to now to be easily confused, or what is your point?