How Paris Invented Modern Urban Life?Paris first became a model of modern city in the 17th century.
DeJean,
J. E. 2014. How Paris became Paris: The invention of the modern city.
Bloomsbury.Source: https://americanlibraryinparis.org/paris-before-haussmann/The
modern urban life we take for granted today—including city parks with benches,
riverside walkways, urban squares, public spaces, street lights, fashion,
department stores, city nightlife, postal services, public transportation, City
Walks, and urban tourism—can be traced back to Paris more than 400 years ago.In
her book "How Paris Became Paris: The Invention of the Modern City,"
Joan DeJean analyzes how 17th-century Paris created a new urban space and
lifestyle, serving as a model for cities elsewhere. It was in the 17th century
that Paris became a precursor and exemplar of urban modernity.For
example, entrepreneurs in Paris at that time invented three public services
crucial to modern urban life: citywide postal services, public transportation,
and street lighting. These innovations also gave rise to new vocabulary,
including words such as sidewalk, city square, pedestrian, traffic congestion,
balcony, boulevard, avenue, and embankment. These terms either originated in
17th-century French or acquired their modern meanings during that time.In
the latter half of the 16th century, France was ravaged by the Wars of Religion
between Catholics and Protestantss. Historian Michel Félibien noted, "“In
1597, there was nothing splendid about Paris. It was in deplorable shape and
lacked everything." Between 1597 and 1700, Paris underwent continuous
rebuilding and transformation. The city's rulers, along with architects,
engineers, developers, and merchants, collaborated on numerous revolutionary
urban public works, transforming desolate landscapes into the modern city we
know today and creating many aspects of modern urban life that still influence
us.The Pont Neuf: The Starting Point of Modern ParisIf
the Eiffel Tower is the iconic structure of today's Paris, then the Pont Neuf
was the iconic structure of 17th-century Paris.According
to DeJean, the Pont Neuf marks the starting point of Paris's journey towards
modernity. For the first time in history, a city was defined by a new type of
municipal project rather than by a church or a palace.Construction
of the Pont Neuf, which spans the Seine River, began during the reign of Henry
III. In 1578, Henry III laid the foundation stone for the Pont Neuf. Initially,
the bridge was planned to have rows of shops and houses on both sides. However,
when construction began in 1587, it was halted for over a decade due to the
Wars of Religion. In 1598, Henry IV resumed the construction. The financing for
the Pont Neuf differed from that of medieval bridges, which were funded by the
owners of houses and shops along the bridge. Instead, the Pont Neuf was funded
in a new way: the king taxed each barrel of wine entering Paris, and no houses
were built on either side of the bridge.The
Pont Neuf was also the first milestone structure in the history of modern
cities because it was fundamentally different from previous bridges. The Pont
Neuf was not a wooden bridge but a stone bridge, making it fire-resistant and
destined to withstand the test of time. It is the oldest bridge in Paris. The
Pont Neuf was the first single-arch bridge over the Seine and also the first
urban bridge without any houses on either side.![]()
The
1734 Bretez-Turgot map shows off the results of a century of city planning: the
kind of bridge and streets unknown in Paris before the seventeenth century.
As
Paris's first modern public work, the Pont Neuf also had a direct and profound
impact on the daily lives of Parisians. It introduced them to modern street
life and changed their relationship with the Seine River.![]()
The
Pont Neuf was a great social leveler. Men and women, individuals from all ranks
were in close contact on an everyday basis.![]()
The
Pont Neuf was the first bridge to allocate space specifically for pedestrians,
with continuous walkways elevated above the roadway to prevent carriages from
entering.
It
was also the first bridge to be fully paved with cobblestones, a feature that
would soon be adopted by all the streets of Paris. For the first time in
history, pedestrians felt as if they were masters of the river. The bridge had
one-foot-thick railings on both sides, which featured dedicated "viewing
platforms" or "terraces" at regular intervals. Anyone walking on
the Pont Neuf could enjoy the views from both sides of the bridge. Both
Parisians and visitors could stand on the viewing platforms, approximately 75
feet wide, and gradually fall in love with the riverside scenery. The Pont Neuf
became the first modern tourist attraction in history, giving rise to a
souvenir industry.In
1600, Paris had no public walking spaces. With the completion of the Pont Neuf,
Parisians were introduced to walkways and experienced a new way to explore the
city on foot. Later, the Place Royale provided Parisians with the first space
designated for leisure. By 1700, Paris became the first city where walking was
not only a mode of transportation but also a form of entertainment. To this
day, city walks remain one of the main ways for residents and tourists to
experience the city.Open City: Boulevards, Avenues, and GardensBoulevards
and avenues are among the main symbols of modern urban planning in Paris and
France, significantly influencing city planning in other countries.Although
these two words are not new in French, they acquired new meanings and uses in
the 17th century. The word "boulevard" originates from the Dutch
"bolwerc," which later became "bulwark" in English and
"boulevart" or "boullevers" in French. It was a military
term used to describe various types of fortifications, especially defensive
bastions or city walls. In Paris, the city's walls were originally reinforced
at intervals with boulevarts.In
1669, Louis XIV ordered the demolition of the city's defensive fortifications
and replaced them with a wide, tree-lined promenade. This promenade encircled
Paris and became the earliest boulevard. With the start of the Paris ring road
project, the bastions lost their original purpose. Soon, "boulevart"
became "boulevard," referring to the ring road on the right bank of
Paris, known as the "boulevard."This
was an exceptionally bold decision, as in the 1660s, other cities were still
constructing new defensive works. The boulevard, which began construction in
1669, redefined Paris, transforming it into a new type of city, a city unlike
any Europe had ever seen—the first truly modern city. Balzac once said, "No
other city has anything comparable to the Boulevards of Paris.” This boulevard
also set the standard for boulevards worldwide.The
entire city’s rim was not fully completed until 1761. It was only towards the
end of his reign that Louis XV, the successor of Louis XIV, saw this extensive
and intricate urban planning project nearing its completion. Transforming an
outdated defensive system into a grand and sophisticated green space was a wise
decision. With this ring road and its integration into the city, Paris's famous
gardens were no longer isolated from urban planning but became an integral part
of it. This transformation made Paris a great walking city, a hub of urban
leisure activities, and the best place in Europe to admire and showcase haute
couture.For
most of the 17th century, "avenue" referred to the path leading to a
location. By the late 17th century, the word had acquired its modern spelling,
"avenue," derived from "venir," meaning "to come"
or "to arrive," and it gained a new meaning: "a walkway lined
with trees." The earliest avenues appeared in areas needing re-planning,
and it was in such a place that the mythical Champs-Élysées was born.On
Sundays or holidays, the Champs-Élysées and its surroundings were used as
modern city parks. Even the working class of Paris began to enjoy holidays
surrounded by trees and greenery.In
October 1678, the royal ledger recorded a payment to a Parisian carpenter named
Louis Le Barbier for eight wooden benches specifically designed for the
Tuileries Garden. These were the earliest public park benches in history.![]()
Nicolas
Bonnart represented fashionable Parisians taking advantage of a quiet
corner in the Tuileries for intimate conversation and flirting.
The Precursors of Modern Urban Public Services: Public
Postal System, Public Transportation, and Public LightingBetween
1653 and 1667, Paris achieved three firsts: the first public postal system, the
first public transportation system, and the first street lighting system.It
is worth noting that these three public services were initially operated by
private investors with royal approval and were discontinued due to financial
difficulties.On
August 8, 1653, Paris became the first city in Europe to have a postal delivery
system. This new service was credited to inventor Jean-Jacques Renouard. A
booklet titled "Guide to Postal Delivery in the City of Paris" was
published, explaining the steps to send a letter: first, purchase a postage
stamp; each street had mailboxes at the corners where letters could be
deposited. Mail was collected three times a day (at 6 AM, 11 AM, and 3 PM);
from collection to delivery, the service promised to complete the process
within one to four hours. However, Renouard's postal service did not survive
the fall of 1653. It was not until 1795 that a state-funded public postal
service in Paris resumed.In
the late 1650s, mathematician Blaise Pascal and a transport-enthusiast
nobleman, Artus Gouffier, collaborated to develop Paris's public transportation
system. They secured financing and royal approval, and after a trial run,
Paris's public carriage service officially began on March 18, 1662. The service
started at 6:30 AM and ran continuously, even during lunchtime. It operated until
6:30 PM in winter and later in summer. Each route had twelve carriages, each
pulled by four horses and capable of carrying eight passengers and two drivers.
Each carriage could make ten trips a day. Riders werepromised vehicles
“spacious and comfortable,” “clean and in good condition,” with “sturdy”
curtains to provide protection from the elements. The fare was set at 5 sous,
which was one twenty-fourth of the cheapest rental fare at the time; posters
described the public carriage fare as "so modest …
that everyone will be able to enjoy this convenience." Notably, women were
also allowed to ride the carriages, making public transportation a shared
public space for both genders.Similar
to the postal service, the privately-operated public transportation struggled
to remain profitable and eventually ceased operations. In 1691, Arthus Gouffier
sold his shares in the public transportation company. It was not until 1828
that a public carriage route reappeared.For
public transportation to operate at night, street lighting was essential. As
early as March 1662, the same month the public carriage service was launched,
Louis XIV granted a royal patent to an investor,Laudati de
Caraffe, for a new public service—the rental of torchbearers. de Caraffe proposed
an original idea: for a city to operate continuously for 24 hours, its streets
must remain illuminated. This idea remains one of the cornerstones of modern
urban life.de
Caraffe established the "the Center for Torch and
Lantern Bearers of Paris." equipping torchbearers with large torches
(about 1.5 pounds of "the finest yellow wax"), while lamp carriers
held oil lamps at the busiest locations. de Caraffe promised that the public
torchbearers would "allow merchants to move freely; the streets of Paris
at night would be far busier than they are now, significantly reducing city
theft."![]()
Street
lighting reduces urban crimeHowever,
de Caraffe 's service did not last long, and soon street lighting was operated
jointly by the royal court and the Paris city government. The funding came from
a tax known as the "dusting and lighting tax," which covered the
costs of cleaning and lighting the streets.Street
lighting was overseen by Paris's chief of police, La Reynie, who installed a
total of 2,736 lamps on the city's 912 streets. Narrow streets had a lamp at
each end, while longer thoroughfares had an additional lamp in the middle. This
marked the true beginning of public street lighting.From
1667 onward, candles were lit in the evenings between November 1 and March 1.
Parisians soon began to petition La Reynie to extend the lighting period. As a
result, night lighting was extended from October 15 to March 30, and gradually,
by the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, street lighting was in place for
nine months of the year.Street
lighting not only became an effective means of maintaining public order but
also made urban nightlife possible. With street lighting, Paris did not shut
down at night like other European capitals. Many shops, cafes, and restaurants
remained open until 10 or even 11 PM. People could stroll the streets and dine
at any time.![]()
The
earliest street lighting system and the nightlife it brought to ParisBy
1702, Paris had 5,470 street lamps. By 1729, this number had increased to
5,772; by 1740, it had grown to 6,408.Modern
urban public safety and commercial prosperity go hand in hand, and lighting is
a necessary prerequisite for achieving both. Lighting transformed urban life,
making Paris the first city of lights.
1.“These
arcades, a recent invention of industrial luxury, are glass-roofed,
marble-panelled corridors extending through whole blocks of buildings, whose
owners have joined together for such enterprises. Lining both sides of the
corridors, which get their light from above, are the most elegant shops, so
that the arcade is a city, a world in miniature, in which customers will find
everything they need.”― Walter Benjamin, The Arcades
Project
2.“The
crowd as veil through which the familiar city appears transformed. The city as
a landscape and a room. The department store is the last promenade for the
flaneur. There his fantasies were materialized.”―Walter Benjamin, The Arcades Project
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