A City Reinvented: Paris Is Now Greater Paris

A City Reinvented: Paris Is Now Greater Paris

The periphery of the French capital is more vital than ever, and its creativity and dynamism have blurred old boundaries.

The Ourcq Canal in the Pantin suburb, now the center of gravity for Paris’s dynamism and creativity.The periphery of the French capital is more vital than ever, and its creativity and dynamism have blurred old boundaries.

The Ourcq Canal in the Pantin suburb, now the center of gravity for Paris’s dynamism and creativity.

For a long time, what is, and what is not, Paris was defined by the 21-mile beltway that encircles it. Inside the Périphérique, as the road is known, was the romantic city of gilded bridges and ageless beauty…