At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Paris was known for
isolated monuments but had not yet put its brand on urban space. Like
other European cities, it was still emerging from its medieval past. But
in a mere century Paris would be transformed into the modern and mythic
city we know today.
Though most people associate the signature characteristics of Paris with
the public works of the nineteenth century, Joan DeJean demonstrates
that the Parisian model for urban space was in fact invented two
centuries earlier, when the first complete design for the French capital
was drawn up and implemented. As a result, Paris saw many changes. It
became the first city to tear down its fortifications, inviting people
in rather than keeping them out. Parisian urban planning showcased new
kinds of streets, including the original boulevard, as well as public
parks and the earliest sidewalks and bridges without houses. Venues
opened for urban entertainment of all kinds, from opera and ballet to a
pastime invented in Paris, recreational shopping. Parisians enjoyed the
earliest public transportation and street lighting, and Paris became
Europe's first great walking city.
A century of planned development made Paris both beautiful and exciting.
It gave people reasons to be out in public as never before and as
nowhere else. And it gave Paris its modern identity as a place that
people dreamed of seeing. By 1700, Paris had become the capital that
would revolutionize our conception of the city and of urban life.
