The Improvised Versus the Planned: In Search of Public Space in Parisian Suburbs

Abstract

The paper looks into the disjointed body of the suburbs that surround the city of Paris in search of markers of public life. Contrasted to a city well known for its public spaces, the Parisian Suburbs are notorious for their ubiquitous social housing projects, clustered around and dotted along transportation circuits, without much else to offer. Lacking multi-layered hierarchies of space between that of the individual dwelling units and the city, the open spaces that surround the suburbs are often under-used stretches of land. The paper catalogues the five elements that form the built environment of the suburbs: towers, grounds, terrainsvagues, facades, and graffiti. It then focuses on the notion of ground, by suggesting hypothetical projects to be installed in specific sites in three adjacent suburbs in the North and Northeast of Paris. The paper presents a hybrid model of research and design that aims at creating better public spaces in those areas through careful, phased operations.