Paris offers a fascinating backdrop for our long Study Tour exploring the complexities of a modern metropolis. Often celebrated as the “City of Love,” with its rich culture, world-class gastronomy, and the iconic image of Parisians sipping coffee at outdoor cafés, Paris is much more than its stereotypes suggest. This tour goes beyond the typical tourist experience, allowing us to delve into the French capital’s history, urban fabric, and contemporary challenges.
Paris’s history stretches back to the Roman Empire, with layers of heritage visible throughout the city. From royal monarchies and Napoleon’s rule to Baron Haussmann’s transformative planning, the Industrial Revolution, modernism, and even the recent COVID crisis, each era has left its mark, creating a city that is both unique and multifaceted. But even though it is steeped in history, Paris is constantly reinventing itself, addressing modern challenges with innovative approaches.
We will explore these many layers through neighborhood tours, visits to suburbs that highlight urban and social issues, and discussions on the role of arts in public spaces, participatory urbanism, and the impact of large-scale events like the recent 2024 Olympics. Our tour also enables us to experience Paris’s diverse urban fabric through boat tours on the Seine and Canal Saint-Martin, bike tours, and visits to repurposed buildings, creative spaces, and urban parks.
These experiences will highlight Paris’s contrasts, where wealth and poverty, grand architecture, and vulnerable neighborhoods coexist, revealing how the city’s history of social movements and political activism continue to shape its evolution. With insights from local experts, we will gain a deeper understanding of Paris’s history, development, and future possibilities, while comparing it with other cities like Copenhagen.
Tour Objectives
- Compare and contrast Paris’s urban structures and cultural dynamics with cities like Copenhagen, offering real-life perspectives on current city planning debates
- Explore the forces driving Paris’s development by delving into its culture, history, and socioeconomic layers, gaining insight into the city’s unique layers and paradoxes
- Discover Paris’s strategies for sustainability, cultural growth, and livability, and see how these are shaping the city’s future
Possible Activities
- Visit the Saint-Denis district to explore urban and social challenges and modernist architecture
- People watching at cafés and urban journaling
- Boat tour on the Seine and Canal Saint-Martin to discover the city from the water
- Workshop with a local artist on the role of urban arts in public spaces