A mega-rescaling-project: state powers and intra-state conflicts in the development of the Grand Paris Express station districts

Abstract

This article examines a megaproject through the lens of various layers of the State, each of which relies on State power in different ways to gain legitimacy for intervention in regional and local planning. It aims to dissect the State’s power into different entities, reflecting the successive phases of rescaling that have taken place in France and the Paris City-Region since the 2010 announcement of the Grand Paris Express megaproject. First, it explores the State’s re-engagement in local planning across different scales, revealing competing urban visions. Then, it discusses the concept of intra-state conflict, where the State sometimes contradicts itself. Finally, it proposes a framework to understand the intra-metropolitan transition in districts transformed by the megaproject.