Regional Geography- Development of Paris as an Urban Area

Examine the factors which have influenced the development of one urban area in a European region (not Ireland) that you have studied.

The European urban area I have studied is Paris in France. 12 million people live in the city of Paris, with 25 million in the whole Paris basin. Due to this huge population, the city now extends over an area of 100km. This urban sprawl led to the creation of five new towns on the city's perimeter to accommodate for the overspill from the city. Marne-la-Vallée is an example of one of these towns, with a population of over 100,00 people. Many urban renewal programmes have also been put in place by the French government to improve the inner city. 

As the city of Paris was developed during medieval times on a bridging point and as a defensive settlement on the River Seine, many problems have developed such as traffic congestion, urban decay and inner city decline. To deal with these problems, the French government developed a scheme called 'Schéma Directeur' in 1964 to control growth and improve suburban areas in the city. The scheme involves protecting historical buildings, investing in public transport, urban renewal and regeneration projects in the older run down areas of the inner city. It also includes the development of suburban nodes or growth centers like shopping centers and the development of new towns along with decentralization of services from the city. These methods have all improves the development of the Paris Basin.

The Paris Basin is nowadays the most popular destination for immigrants to France with 1.3 million of all French migrants living there. Due to immigration of thousands from China, Eastern Europe and North and West Africa in Paris, problems can arise in poorer parts of the city. These areas can then develop into ghettos. With many immigrants still on the edges of French society, this can lead to poverty, youth unemployment and unequal opportunities. In 2005, terrible riots took place after 2 North African youths were killed for hiding from the police. Controversy has also developed due to the French governments restrictions on wearing headscarves. Riots took place due to this racial discrimination to Islamic women. Since the 1980's, due to these problems migration out of the region has increased due to recent job losses and strict immigration laws. All of the factors above have led to the development of Paris as an urban centre.