Le Panier is the Old City in Marseille, France. People have lived on this piece of land for more than 2,000 years. This neighborhood was heavily damaged during World War 2, then rebuilt with the same street plan & sometimes the same foundations, as before. This streetscape was not as appealing to me as those in other cities, where the buildings are much older. These houses look modern. But the place still has more charm than many urban neighborhoods in the US. The narrow houses, the street plan that does not conform to a modern grid & the narrow streets that can barely accommodate a car, all that feels intriguingly alien to an American. How nice it would be, if this plan were adapted for use in modern cities, a respite from too many cars taking up too much space. Compare this with other old cities that evolved centuries ago & more modern urban landscapes.
No comments:
Post a Comment