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Why the Paris périphérique is more than just a ringroad

The traffic-choked road that circles Paris - inaugurated on April 25th 1973 - is more than a simple highway and is often described as a 'social frontier' - here's why.

Why the Paris périphérique is more than just a ringroad
Photo by FRANCOIS GUILLOT / AFP

The Boulevard Périphérique – popularly known simply as le périph – is the 35km ringroad that surrounds Paris – not to be confused with the A86, which is the external ringroad (beltway).

As with many major city ringroads (think London’s M25) it’s not the most fun driving experience as traffic is frequently extremely heavy, especially at peak times like rush hour or the start of the school holidays. The French rule of priorité à droite also applies on the périph, making it a particular challenge for foreign drivers.

The red line denoting the confines of Paris almost exactly follows the route of the périphérique, with two detours to bring the Bois de Vincennes and the Bois de Boulogne into the city. Map: Google

But it’s not the frequent traffic jams, shunts and appalling pollution levels that distinguish the périph from other roads – it is its role as the Paris ‘frontier’.

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City boundaries

As well as bringing traffic in and out of the city, the road also acts as a territory marker – anything inside the périphérique is Paris, areas outside are not the city proper but are just part of the greater Paris region of Île de France.

Therefore Paris Charles de Gaulle airport is not in Paris, nor is French national stadium Stade de France, the Paris business district of La Défense or Disneyland Paris (although that last one is fair enough, because it’s actually around 40km outside Paris).

Likewise people who live in the suburbs are technically not Parisians but Franciliens/Franciliennes – or inhabitants of the Île-de-France region.

The relatively small confines of the périph also explain some of the more surprising statistics about Paris – such as the fact that its population is just 2.1 million, compared to London with 8.9 million, Berlin with 3.6 million or Madrid with 3.2 million.

Likewise Paris is 105 km square – and you can walk across the entire city from east to west in just over two hours – while Madrid registers 604 km sq, Berlin at 891 km sq and London at a whopping 1,572 km square.

While London is undoubtedly a larger city, both the area and population of Paris come much more in line with other European capitals once you include the inner suburbs.

The barrier is in place politically too, so that the authority of the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, stretches only as far as the périph, while the départements that make up the suburbs elect their own Préfets and mayors. There is some crossover, however, the public transport network Île de France Mobilities is organised on a region-wide basis, while the Paris police force covers both the city and its suburbs. 

Suburbs

Surrounding Paris are the three départements that make up the inner suburbs – known as the petite couronne (little crown) – Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine and Val-de-Marne.

Between them they have a population a 4.5 million people, so if we add them to Paris we get a population of 6.6 million, much more in line with other European capitals. Likewise their combined area of 657 km sq bring Paris and its suburbs to a total area of 762 km sq.

The 8 départements that make up the greater Paris Île de France region – Paris itself and the 3 départements of the ‘petite couronne’ and the four larger départements that make up the outer suburbs. Map: Regions-et-departements.fr

Suburbs in French are known as banlieues and those live there banlieusards

The inner suburbs, which are largely included in to Metro network, are where a lot of the people who work in Paris actually live – especially those who do the low-paid but vital jobs such as staffing the capital’s transport networks, cleaning the streets and running supermarkets. 

Map showing Paris Metro, tram and RER routes in the city and inner suburbs. Map: RATP

The suburbs are generally more spacious with cheaper property prices so the city has seen a decade-long trend of people moving out of central Paris to the suburbs. Over the past 10 years the population of Paris has fallen by 120,000 – but of every 10 people who moved out of the city, six only went as far as the suburbs. 

PODCAST: Why so many Parisians are quitting Paris and how easy is it to become French?

Moving further out of the city are the four départements that make up the outer suburbs and greater Paris region of Île de France; Essonne, Yvelines, Seine-et-Marne and Val d’Oise. These are larger though much less densely populated.

Social barrier

But this isn’t enough to explain on its own why the périphérique is regarded as a ‘social barrier’ – and that’s to do with wealth and income. 

The priciest property is the Paris area is in the city centre – particularly in the central four arrondissements that run alongside the River Seine through central Paris, where you’re likely to be close to the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe or both.

Even a fairly modest sized apartment in the city centre will set you back over €1 million, and increasingly locals are being priced out of the market – in arrondissements 1-4, 30 percent of housing is not in full-time occupation. Most of them are instead second homes for wealthy foreigners.

Average property prices per square metre in Paris, as of September 2020. Map: WikiCommons

In a very broad generalisation, property prices fall the further away from the city centre you get, and then drop sharply as soon as you cross the peripherique. And this is cited as the main reason for people, especially families with young children, leaving Paris for the ‘burbs.

READ ALSO Is everyone really leaving Paris and could that be a good thing?

Social inequality

The suburbs are generally cheaper places to live, both in terms of property prices and in other everyday items like groceries or having a meal or drinks in a café or bar, but income and other issues vary widely between suburbs.

Some suburbs – such as Levallois-Perret and Neuilly-sur-Seine – are extremely wealthy and have for generations been the home of the well-off and socially select families of Paris, while others – such as Montfermeil and Bondy – are characterised by high levels of poverty, crime and social deprivation.

To very broadly generalise, the western Paris suburbs are well off, while the areas to the east and – particularly – the north are poor (and there’s a historical reason for this – it was originally to do with the way the wind blew smoke from factories, so that the poorer areas were to the east which is downwind).  

The département of Seine-Saint-Denis, home to the inner suburbs to the north-east of Paris, regularly comes top in indicators for poverty, crime and ill-health and also has a high number of immigrants and refugees.

It is among these suburbs that trouble frequently flares, such as the riots of 2005 and 2017 which gives rise to the reputation of the northern suburbs as ‘ghettos’ of crime and poverty. There are definitely places that have severe social deprivation, high crime rates and a very tense relationship between police and locals – films such as La Haine and Les Misérables (directed by Montfermeil local Ladj Ly) explore those issues in more detail.

And their proximity to Paris increases the contrast – it is 22km (about a 1hr 20 minute cycle ride) from the president’s Elysée Palace in the heart of historic Paris to the notoriously tough suburb of Montfermeil, but the two places are worlds apart. 

However, it’s important to remember that not all of Seine-Saint-Denis has these problems and as more families leave Paris, more and more suburban areas are becoming gentrified and/or trendy. The northern suburb of Pantin and the eastern area of Montreuil are among these ‘bobo‘ (hipster) suburbs.

Snobbery

Nonetheless, there remains an attitude among certain Parisians, especially older ones, that to cross the périph means venturing into the ‘wild west’ of drugs, guns and gangs.

This depressing and unimaginative trope can be seen in dozens of French films and TV shows, where characters either never cross the rinrgoad at all, or venture into the suburbs only to buy drugs (FYI drugs are also on sale in Paris).

Meanwhile banlieusard, which simply means a person who lives in the suburbs, has taken on a negative connotation of is is frequently used to describe people who are unemployed and/or involved in low-level criminality. The département number of Seine-Saint-Denis – neuf trois – is also sometimes used in a perjorative way.

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Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

There are 100 days left before Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris will finally open its doors to visitors again. Here is what you need to know about getting tickets in advance, the reopening plans, and the status of the restoration.

Tickets and dates: All you need to know about Notre-Dame reopening

August 30th marks a major milestone in the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, with just 100 days – or three intense months of work – remaining for the 500-plus artisans working against the clock to ensure the cathedral is ready in time.

The Cathedral has been closed to the public since it was badly damaged by fire in April 2019.

Since then, Parisians and visitors have been able to see a lot of the progress, as the outside work redefined the city’s skyline, but they have not been able to go inside.

But soon, visitors will be able to re-enter the famous cathedral. Here is what you need to know;

When exactly will the cathedral re-open?

The Cathedral is on track to re-open on time on December 8th – the Festival of the Immaculate Conception.

How can I get tickets?

Anyone planning to visit Notre-Dame after its grand reopening should be aware that, when it does throw open its doors to the public, you will need to have a pre-booked ticket to enter.

In anticipation of an estimated 15 million visitors a year, the diocese is taking steps to better manage the flow of people in the 6,000m2 of the building – which can accommodate 2,500 people at a time. 

A mobile app is due to be rolled out in the autumn, and the official website is being redesigned to allow visitors to book free tickets.

But officials are keen to point out that potential visitors do not need to rush to the website or app to book months in advance. Spaces are expected to be available probably a day or two in advance, and visitors will be able to book a visit at the cathedral itself on the day they intend to visit.

What about groups?

Be aware that admission will initially be reserved for individual visitors. Group bookings will not be possible until six months after the cathedral’s reopening, officials have said.

What is the status of the restoration work?

“We can see that we are close to the goal and that fuels our confidence that we will achieve the objective,”  Philippe Jost, president of the public institution responsible for the restoration of Notre-Dame de Paris, told Le Parisien, in an interview to mark the date.

The vault of the transept crossing was completed in May, allowing work to start on finishes to the interior of the building, and the gradual removal of scaffolding from the outside. The cathedral’s renewed silhouette has been visible throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Spectacular steps” have been taken in the past six months, Jost said, including the completion of the solid oak frames above the nave and the choir, and the installation of the lead roofs.

But, he said, there are still “an incredible amount of things to do in every corner” – including restoring the flooring, connecting electrical networks and installing new liturgical furniture. In just 100 days. “There is no question of falling asleep and telling yourself that it’s in the bag,” Jost said.

What can I do in the meantime?

You can still walk around the site and read the posters explaining the restoration process, though you will not be able to enter. Photos of the fire-damaged cathedral and its restoration form an exhibition on the barriers keeping people out of the site.

Guided tours exist in the area, including one offered by Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral and CASA volunteers. These tours are free and they go around the cathedral, lasting about one hour. More info for booking here.

Will there be other work in the future?

Even though Notre-Dame is reopening, the cathedral’s restoration work will continue for another four to five years. 

“The City of Paris … will be carrying out work around the cathedral, notably on the forecourt, for at least three years,” the diocese said in a press release.

Starting in 2025, the cathedral’s stone exterior will begin to be refurbished, using surplus funds from the huge pot of donations that poured in after the fire.

The plans include adding trees and vegetation to the square in front of the cathedral, as well as a small stream that will help to cool the area during hot weather. 

The space behind the cathedral will also be transformed, adding in a lawn and grassy area. Under the monument, the underground parking lot will transform into a visitor centre, offering an interior walkway that will give access to the archaeological crypt and will open up onto the Seine.

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