PARIS URBAN TOUR

PARIS URBAN TOUR

A panoramic view of Paris, France, with the Eiffel Tower visible in the distance, rooftops, bridges, and the Seine River under a partly cloudy sky.

Bienvenue à Paris !

You will find below all the information you need during the tour. Enjoy !

PROGRAM : 18th June 2026

Morning: 

  • 9h30 : Meeting Place de la République, at the Central Monument. Tour of an emblematic public square transformation and mention of the other major public squares being transformed. Speaker TBC : TVK architects (Vincent Hertenberger), designers of the square.

  • 10h : Visit of the construction site of 11-13 rue au Maire, a unique transformation project of offices into social housing, on a constrained site,  with Elogie-Siemp (social housing operator from the City of Paris - Sophie Autissier). 

  • 11h30 : Visit of la  Caserne des Minimes (one of the latest social housing projects in Paris with public spaces) with Atelier RF+ architects (Adrien Robain).

  • 12h30 : Lunch at Le Petit Marché, cozy French restaurant just across la Caserne des Minimes. 

Afternoon: 

  • 14h : Presentation of the future “Porte de la Villette” project at the head office of P&Ma (Simon Henry, project manager)

  • 15h : Walk to Parc de la Villette through a section of la Petite Ceinture (old train tracks transformed into a green way and cultural venues)

  • 15h45 : Visit of Parc de la Villette with Adélaïde Papay, architect and researcher on the adaptability of la Villette public spaces to new uses and climate. Visit followed by Q&A and exchange of experiences between both cities, with Eliott Pinel (La Villette). End point : 17h at la Petite Halle de la Villette. 

Map of a city with a highlighted route passing through various landmarks such as Place de la République, Square Saint-Gilles, and Caserne des Minimes, with icons indicating transportation and points of interest.
Map of Paris showing a route from Parc de la Villette to Paris&Met. Aménagement, with stops at Petite Ceinture, RER Rosa Parks, and Métro-Porte de Pantin.
  • A public square filled with trees, people walking, sitting, and biking in front of historic buildings with European architecture. Cars are parked along the street, and there are street lamps and a staircase leading underground. The bottom caption reads: 'Place de la République - TVK'.

    New Place de la République - TVK

  • Map showing cycling infrastructure projects in Paris and the greater Paris area, with roads depicted in green and orange, indicating current and planned bike routes.

    Cycling lanes - Greater Paris

  • Map of Paris showing air quality index with different areas color-coded by pollution levels, with a legend indicating summer, all year, and specific date pollution patterns, and a yellow banner that says 'Paris Respire prog'.

    Paris Respire - Clean mobility program

  • Infographic titled 'Trips in Paris: Key figures in 2024' showing data on trip evolution, public transport, and road infrastructure in Paris, including graphs, percentages, and figures related to cycling, motorized traffic, pedestrian zones, and street network length.

    Mobility Stats : Trips in Paris

  • Room under renovation with exposed brick walls, two windows, and scaffolding.

    11/13 rue au Maire construction site

  • Map of Paris with blue markers indicating infrastructure projects and purple markers indicating studies.

    Sites of P&Ma (Paris & Métropole Aménagement)

  • Empty courtyard surrounded by four-story historic European building with arched ground level, ornate windows, and rooftop chimneys.

    Caserne des Minimes - Archive

  • Split view of a cityscape: on the left, a parking lot with several cars and a red building in the background; on the right, a winter park with leafless trees, benches, and a few people walking, in a city with similar architecture.

    Caserne des Minimes : Public Space transformation

  • Empty elegant living room with white walls, large windows, wooden herringbone floor, decorative molding, and a white fireplace with a mirror above it.

    Caserne des Minimes - Appartment

  • Porte de la Villette - TVK

    Porte de la Villette - TVK

  • Porte de la Villette

    Porte de la Villette

  • A detailed, multicolored map of a city with various districts, parks, and landmarks labeled in French. The map shows streets, railway lines, and geographical features with different colors indicating different areas.

    Porte de la Villette - Urban sections

  • Map of the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, France, showing pathways, green spaces, water features, and surrounding streets. Key locations such as the Grande Halle, la Petite Halle, and the Philharmonie de Paris are marked, along with transportation options like metro and bus stops.

    La Villette parc

  • Aerial view of an urban area with industrial buildings, warehouses, houses, and a body of water with boats docked along its edge. Snow covers the ground and rooftops, indicating winter.

    La Villette - Archive

  • Diagram of a laser tag or military simulation arena with launching, targeting, and grid components.

    La Villette - Conceptual urban system (surface, ligne, point)

THE PARIS URBAN GLOSSARY 

Key programs, projects, and policies shaping the city.

URBAN PLANS AND FRAMEWORKS

ParisPluie (Stormwater Plan): In force since 2018, updated 2025. Requires on-site rainwater management (depaving, infiltration) and designs “rues rivières” for flood resilience.

Plan Bioclimatique (Bioclimatic Plan): Adopted 2022; goal: carbon-neutral Paris by 2050. Contains 500 measures on energy, mobility, and adaptation—incl. 170,000 new trees and –4 °C heat-reduction target.

PLU Bioclimatique (Bioclimatic Local Urban Plan): Adopted in 2024, the first in France. Defines planning rules around climate adaptation based on 14,000 citizen contributions. Official framework for all permits from 2025 onward.

Plan Biodiversité 2025–2030: Released in Oct 2025; aims to green and depave 30 % of the city by 2030 through 85 actions connecting health, water, and urban design.

Plan Arbre / Canopy Goal: Roadmap (2020–2026) to plant 170,000 trees along streets, squares, and the ring road. Paris counts ≈500,000 trees today.

Plan Baignade (Seine Bathing Plan): Public swimming opened in 2025 at 3 sites (Bercy, Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle) after €1.4–1.6 bn water-quality works including the €90 M Austerlitz basin (2024).

Urban Resilience Strategy (100 RC): Adopted in 2017 within the 100 Resilient Cities network; addresses climate risk, flooding, heat, and social cohesion, guiding later programs like cooling streets and emergency water storage.

URBAN PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

Cours Oasis (Oasis Schoolyards):Since 2017, 165 schoolyards transformed into cool, permeable micro-parks; +360 more by 2030. Schoolyards open to the public on weekends. 

Paris Respire (Car-free Sundays):Since 2003, certain districts are closed to car traffic on Sundays and holidays, open only to pedestrians, cyclists, taxis, and residents. As of 2025, 27 neighborhoods participate (Marais, Montmartre, Canal Saint-Martin, Quais de Seine).

Permis de Végétaliser: Created in 2015, allows residents to plant and maintain vegetation in public space (tree bases, walls, sidewalks) with a free renewable 3-year permit. Over 15,000 permits issued citywide.

Petite Ceinture (Rail-to-Trail Greenway): Ongoing transformation of the former railway belt into an ecological promenade, with cultural destinations (ex: La Gare, Le Gore). New sections opened 2024–2025, with further links planned. 

Les Places de Paris (Parisian Squares Project): Launched 2017 with APUR (Atelier Parisien d’Urbanisme), reconfiguring seven major squares (Bastille, Nation, Madeleine, Panthéon, Gambetta, Italie, Fêtes) to make them greener and more walkable, reclaiming 50 % or more of space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Réinventer Paris (Reinventing Paris): Urban innovation competition launched in 2014 to reimagine underused public sites through public–private partnerships, promoting mixed use, adaptive reuse, and sustainability. Edition 1 (2015): 22 sites selected, incl. Morland Mixité Capitale. Edition 2 (2017): focused on underground and infrastructural spaces (incl. Aérogare des Invalides). Edition 3 (2022): transformation of vacant offices into housing (incl. Hospitalités Citoyennes).

Rue aux Écoles (School Streets): Since 2020, streets near schools are turned into pedestrian-priority zones to improve safety and air quality. Over 300 school streets by 2024, aiming for 600 by 2026.

HOUSING

Logement social / HLM: Regulated rental housing owned or managed by an approved social landlord and allocated according to household resources, composition and housing need

BRS, Bail réel solidaire: Affordable homeownership model in which the household buys the dwelling but leases the land from an organisme de foncier solidaire, reducing the purchase price while imposing income, occupancy and resale conditions.

PSLA, Prêt social location-accession: A rent-to-buy arrangement in which a household first occupies the property as a tenant and may subsequently exercise an option to purchase it under regulated conditions.

Prêts locatifs aidés (PLAI / PLUS / PLS / PLI): Publicly supported financing categories used to produce rental housing at different rent and income levels, ranging from very low-income social housing under PLAI to intermediate housing for middle-income households under PLI.

Logement locatif intermédiaire, LLI: Regulated rental housing generally offered below local market prices to eligible middle-income households in high-demand areas such as Paris.

Rent control / encadrement des loyers: In Paris, rents for most main-residence leases are capped according to official reference rents, with limited exceptions.

PARTICIPATORY INITIATIVES

Budget Participatif (Participatory Budget): Since 2014, residents vote to allocate ≈5 % of the city’s investment budget (for €84 M in 2024). Over 3,000 projects realized—rooftop gardens, art installations, playgrounds...

DansMaRue (“In My Street” App): Citizen-reporting app (since 2014) for litter, graffiti, or street damage via geolocated photos. Handles ≈2,000 reports/day, improving coordination across all arrondissements.

Embellir votre Quartier (Beautify Your Neighbourhood): Since 2021, residents co-design local public-space upgrades—street greening, traffic calming... Each district cluster runs a participatory process over 2–3 years. Budget: €150 M (2021–2026).

Embellir Paris (Beautify Paris): Launched in 2019, an art and design competition for creative interventions in underused public spaces. 20 sites selected (includes up/side/down/town by The Street Society in Le Marais).

MOBILITY

Plan Vélo 2021–2026: €250 M plan for a 100 % cycling city: 1,000 km of bike lanes (up from 350 km in 2018) and 180,000 parking spaces.

15-Minute City: Popularized by Carlos Moreno and explicitly embraced by the Mayor in 2020; the idea structures programs that bring daily services, schools, culture, and jobs within a short walk/ride. 

Vélib’: Paris’s bike-share system (launched 2007). Fleet ≈21,000 bikes (40 % electric), 1,400 stations in 60 municipalities around Paris, >400,000 daily trips on peak days — one of the world’s largest.

Zone de Rencontre (Shared Zone): Shared street with 20 km/h limit; pedestrians and cyclists have priority over motor vehicles.

Zone Zéro Émission (Zero Emission Zone): Progressive ban on fossil-fuel vehicles by 2030, starting with professional fleets in 2025. Linked to the Greater Paris Low-Emission Zone (ZFE).

  • Alice Cabaret

    Alice Cabaret

    Urban Strategist, Founder The Street Society (www.the-street-society.com/) and co-founder of [S]CITY (https://www.scity-lab.com/). Born and raised in Paris, and member of the citizen council for the 9th arrondissement.

  • Black-and-white photo of a man with glasses, a beard, and messy hair, smiling against a plain white background.

    Vincent Hertenberger, TVK

    Architect and urban designer, head of Public Spaces at TVK architects.

  • Smiling woman with glasses and long dark hair, wearing a white shirt, in a room with bookshelves and people in the background.

    Sophie Autissier, Elogie-Siemp

    Head of Operations at Elogie-Siemp.

  • Black and white photo of a man with dark, curly hair, wearing a collared shirt, looking down with a serious expression.

    Adrien Robain, RH+

    Founding architect RH+ architecture.

  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling, standing in front of a bookshelf in a room.

    Simon Henry, P&Ma

    Head of “Porte de la Villette” project for Paris & Métropole Aménagement.

  • Black and white photo of a young woman with curly hair smiling outdoors in front of a fence.

    Adélaïde Papay

    Architect and urban planner., in charge of the research : "Considering adaptability of public spaces, balancing uses and climates. The case of the Parc de la Villette (Paris)" for Ensadlab-PSL, ENSA-Malaquais-PSL, EPPGHV)

  • A young man with a beard and short hair, wearing a striped shirt, looking to the side outdoors in a park with trees in the background, in black and white.

    Eliott Pinel, La Villette

    Head of Program, General Direction, La Villette.

Collage of black and white urban scenes with large, bold text that reads 'word on the street' and a circular label saying 'Street Society'.
Cover page of a publication featuring an aerial photo of a Paris square with trees, historic buildings, and streets, titled 'Place de la République' and labeled as issue 01, 2026.

INFORMATION DOCUMENT

“Word on the street” :

a custom guide with all you need to know about the different sites.

Black and white photo of an unfinished room with exposed beams on the ceiling, two windows, and walls with visible insulation and framing.
A poster about the Caserne des Minimes, a former military compound turned social and urban space, featuring an illustration of historic buildings and a list of discussion questions.
Illustrated map of La Villette park in Paris, showing various sections such as Pavillon Jardins, Le Champ des Oiseaux, Les Grandes Pâtures, and Jardin des daunes et des vents. The map includes labels in French and arrows indicating directions to nearby landmarks.
DOWNLOAD YOUR GUIDE

CONTACTS 

Alice Cabaret : +33 6 61 10 38 92
alice@the-street-society.com