How Paris Became Paris Spiral-Bound | 2015-04-07

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. She traces the beginnings of new kinds of public spaces, including parks and sidewalks, and the street lighting that helped Paris become Europe's first great walking city. She also narrates the rise of urban entertainments, from opera to recreational shopping.

A century of planned development made Paris both beautiful and exciting--and gave it 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.