France
Friday Funny: Take the Kids to Napoleonland
A new theme park dedicated to all things Napoleon has been proposed for the area south of Paris by former French minister and history buff Yves Jégo, and is being touted as a rival to Disneyland, reports Henry Samuel.
The Telegraph
Friday Funny: Blame the Architect, The Video
A lecture series explores the relation between city planning and urban violence. And who is to blame? The architect.
Delft University of Technology
New Transit Systems of 2010
Garrett Bradford of TheCityFix reviews some of the most innovative and sustainable transit systems from around the globe that made their debut over the last twelve months.
TheCityFix
Exploring the Abandoned Metro of Paris
Urban explorer dsankt offers an in-depth look inside abandoned sections of the Metro system of Paris.
Sleepy City
Adios Automobile!
TheCityFix looks at the future of the automobile in cities and the possibilities of moving people in to alternative modes in times when car ownership rates are still exploding.
TheCityFix
Bike-Sharing? Check. Now on to Car-Sharing
Next June, Paris will begin a test phase of a citywide electric car-sharing program.
Der Spiegel
Bike Path From London to Paris Could Be Smoother
The BBC tries out a new bike route connecting London to Paris and finds room for improvement.
BBC
EU Blasts France's Expulsion of Gypsies
The conservative government led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been deporting hundreds of Gypsies, the nomadic people who number in the thousands in France. EU officials have called the move "a disgrace".
The New York Times
French Utopia Devolves
Born from the 1968 riots, a carefully planned community in France has been steadily taken over by crime and unrest, prompting some to question whether its utopian ideals actually work.
The New York Times
Battle Over Closure of Paris Expressways
A political battle is brewing in Paris, where the city's mayor wants to close off sections of roadway along the River Seine, a move that President Nicholas Sarkozy is against.
The New York Times
Bringing Bookshops Back to the Latin Quarter
Seeing a marked decline in the amount of bookstores in the traditional cultural center of Paris, the city began a program to actively lure them back.
Guardian
Complaints Grow Over Increasing "Ugliness" of Paris
A press conference was held in Paris to draw attention to the problem of "increasingly large and unsympathetic buildings" cropping up around the City of Lights.
INTBAU News
French Carbon Tax Dead
France's highest court dealt an 'unexpected and embarrassing blow' to French President Nicolas Sarkozy by ruling his carbon tax, set to take effect on New Year's, unconstitutional on Dec. 30.
The Guardian U.K.
Europe's 'Capital of Sleep' Extends Party Hours
After being accused of being party-unfriendly, Paris and other French cities have been officially allowed to keep their dance clubs open as late as 7 a.m.
Salon
All You Need is Louvre
A war-battered town in Frances will be the site of a new extension of the venerable Louvre museum, and locals hope the addition of the cultural site will revive the struggling city.
The Washington Post
The Planetizen News Brief - 12/10/09
4:17 minutes (3.93 MB)
A fast train from France to Spain, U.S. city folk get rural, and officials hope to pull people to cities by funding urban parks -- all on this week's Planetizen News Brief, airing weekly on "Smart City". Read, listen or download.
How to Un-Do Auto Dependence
After decades of auto-dependence, the French city of Strasbourg turned its back to the car and built a citywide tram system and street grid that reclaims roads from auto-dominance.
Next American City
France Plans Electric Car Charging Network
The French government hass announced plans to install electric car charging stations throughout the country.
The Wall Street Journal
First Bikes, Now Paris Wants to Share Cars
Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe has announced a plan to initiate a citywide car-sharing system, building on the success of the city's popular bike sharing program.
Der Spiegel
Putting Stimulus Dollars to Work
Economic improvement projects funded by the stimulus are moving full steam ahead -- in France.
The New York Times





















