Big City, Big Ideas: Métropole du Grand Paris: Planning and Integrating the Paris Metropolitan Region

This event featured a discussion with Catherine Barbé, the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Société du Grand Paris, about some of her experience and strategies with the implementation of the Grand Paris project, and insights and lessons on further integrating the Paris metropolitan region.

The Métropole du Grand Paris (Grand Paris) is an initiative launched in 2007 by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy for “a new global plan for the Paris metropolitan region,” which aims to improve the quality of life for the 12 million inhabitants in the Ile-de-France region, reduce intra-regional inequalities, and improve economic competitiveness of the region that accounts for almost a third of French GDP. At the heart of the scheme lies an ambitious project to modernize and expand the regional rail, metro, and light rail network in the Paris metropolitan region. The Société du Grand Paris is the state agency commissioned to design and implement the transit network expansion, and oversee urban development around the future stations of the network.

SPEAKERS

Catherine Barbé is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Société du Grand Paris. Prior to joining the Société du Grand Paris, Catherine served as the Executive Director of the City of Paris’s Department of City Planning. Earlier in the Ministry of Public Works, she led the development of a national planning and housing strategy, and transformed planning regulations and procedures of public urban development in France. Catherine is an architect, and is a graduate of the Institut d’études politques de Paris (Institute of Political Studies in Paris) and the National School of Administration (ENA). She is also a member of the Scientific Committee of an urban solutions think-tank, La Fabrique de la Cité (the City Factory).

Moderated by Michel Trocmé, Partner at Urban Strategies Inc., with comments by Theresa Enright, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, and Larry Clay, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ontario Growth Secretariat in the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Jointly presented by the Consulate of General of France in Toronto and the Bousfield Distinguished Visitorship in Planning at the Department of Geography and Program in Planning, in association with its BCBI partners, and supported by Institut français.

Read The New York Times article on the new Métropole du Grand Paris, published on February 12, 2015

View photos from the event