Reimagining Paris’s Derelict Métro Stations

Parisian mayoral candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet's proposal for the city’s abandoned train stations can be safely described as awesome. The designs are still a dream, but the city of lights is a good place for creative activity.

1 minute read

February 8, 2014, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Paris Metro Tracks

freeside510 / Flickr

Hidden underground in Paris are 11 abandoned remnants of a dark period in French history: “Many of these ‘ghost’ or ‘phantom’ stations shuttered after the occupation during WWII.”

Entre Parisian mayoral candidate Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, who, according to a post by Stephanie Garlock has “teamed up with architect Manal Rachdi and urban planner Nicolas Laisné. They drew up a few crazy-looking renderings to get started, starting with Arsenal, a 4th arrondissement station closed since 1939.”

Proposals include a theater and a swimming pool, among others.

Saturday, February 8, 2014 in Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Historic homes in St. Augustine, Florida.

Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs

Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.

March 18, 2025 - Newsweek

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands

The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

March 17, 2025 - The Wall Street Journal

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

Aerial view of neighborhood under construction with houses and vacant lots.

Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA

Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.

15 minutes ago - Urban Land Institute

Red rock landscape in Bears Ears National Monument, Utah.

New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands

An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.

1 hour ago - Rocky Mountain Community Radio

Black SUV viewed from rear in traffic.

Study: Larger Vehicles Lead to More Congestion

New research links large SUVs to lower traffic throughput.

2 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab