Grand Paris, a vision of the city and its suburbs in 2030, is a project initiated by President Nicolas Sarkozy, partly to stay abreast (and ahead of) other global metropolitan cities and partly to create a greener, more environmentally friendly Paris. The pictures shown above are a few of the designs handed over to Sarkozy by ten of the top planning firms in the region. The goal is to have skyscrapers and structures that are partly powered by wind and solar energy, with elevated rapid transit connecting the suburbs to the city center. The images displayed during an exhibit called “Le Grand Paris”, received mixed reviews with some Parisians showing concern over lost identity and others eagerly anticipating a potential source of new jobs.

Incidentally, way back in 1889, the Parisians were not too sold on the idea of a towering hunk of metal in the heart of their beloved city, albeit the then, tallest structure in the world. In fact, the Paris elite almost succeeded in tearing the Eiffel Tower down in 1909 (the tower was spared due to its extreme practical value). What a shame that would have been for the two hundred million plus people who have since visited one of the world’s most well known monuments!

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Tags: Environment, Good Deal Hunting, Green, June 2009, Paris, Real Estate