How did the Modern City emerge?

Humanity's story in many ways, is told through its cities. Enormous masses whose chaos, energy, and dynamism make them theatres for events that change history. Where trade flourished, ideas thrived, Literature & Philosophy flowered, tensions negotiated, revolutions erupted and dreams & hopes, were fulfilled and extinguished. Cities represent human civilization at its apex, with all its enterprise and imperfection. Cities are also in a state of eternal flux; everything is ephemeral, just to be replaced by something new.

An extremely controversial debate in urban and civic history is to what extent people and communities can be accommodated and provided with a life of well-being and dignity, amidst the overwhelming pressures of demographic, economic, and social change. Growth with its uplifting power, can become self-destructive, if not supported by practices that promote sustainability, social cohesion, and public harmony. The spate of unplanned urban growth in many parts of the world particularly the developing countries is a testament to this.

In the 19th Century, one such epochal urban change unfolded shaking the very roots of a great European City- Paris. The capital of a colonial power, and the seat of the Enlightenment, & the French Revolution, the city was now saddled by overcrowding, uncleanliness, disease, dinginess, and poor safety. The narrow medieval streets were known for poor hygiene, disease, and general deprivation. Everything was about to change however when one man took the reins of administration. Paris would be transformed so heavily, its legacy would continue to resonate to date.

Napoleon III, nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte had a vision for the city. Disgusted by what he saw as an ancient, crammed, backward, and grimy city, he aspired to make Paris a modern metropolis, admired by the world and envied by the rest of Europe. He saw inspiration in London at the time which was known for its big parks and broad tree-lined avenues. This he believed, was the only path to solving Paris's problems. He entrusted the task of transforming the city to his closest public servant, a controversial man by the name of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann.

Hausmann's plan cut the city into three halves with two main roads running East-West & 1 North to South. Out of this grid would radiate broad and symmetrical avenues cutting across the city’s principal monuments and landmarks. A fine vision to say the least, but one whose aftermath would be dreadful, to those who faced the brunt, rather than blessings of this rejuvenation. Hausmann’s project cut through the city’s crammed streets, clearing 12,000 medieval tenements to make way for regal and flawlessly furnished buildings such as the Palais Garnier, Les Halles marketplace, and new train terminals with his long, wide, and straight avenues. A new and sophisticated sewage network was laid out, separating sewage water and drinking water and reservoirs where aqueducts were commissioned. Roads were widened extending 137 km lined with artsy street lamps. The new streets came with trees and broad pavements along which café terraces sprang up.

The city was changed in almost profound ways. What was once an urban sprawl of fetid tenements was transformed into a Neo-Classical Paradise, with airy boulevards, tranquil parks, cobblestoned streets, and elegant facades. Epidemics ceased, traffic eased, and the elegant buildings with their geometrically harmonious plan, stood as a testament to the upgraded infrastructure. If today, Paris is frequented by millions for its regal charm, Hausmann deserves credit.

The darker side of this transformation, however, was heart-wrenching; the city’s medieval fabric was torn apart, its local traditions destroyed and nearly 350,000 people displaced. As though this were not enough, the move, also ruptured neighbourhoods where the rich and poor co-existed, leading to socio-economic segregation; this in turn deepened the divide between the rich. Rents are also known to have soared. The upgraded infrastructure in the form of “Boulevards” in fact also solidified military control and crushed dissent. Many of Paris's modern problems have also been blamed on this transformation. Many of the city's most acute problems including Housing Shortages, Traffic, Congestion, Pollution, and Socio-Economic segregation have been tied to this 19th Century transformation.

Around the same time another such revamp unfolded in cities around the world as part of an urban transformation programme. In New York, a plan was approved for the creation of Central Park - the city's main green space today. The chaos and squalor of urban life prompted the construction of Central Park. What is enjoyed by tourists and locals today was developed as a result of destroying several settlements including those occupied by impoverished and marginalized minorities. But this would be easy to dismiss when reveling in the park's serene environs located squarely in the middle of an urban jungle.

A most perplexing question confronts, policy-makers, leaders, and organizations when it comes to an issue as complex as Urban Development. How can the development of cities be squared with the well-being of average citizens? In a rapidly urbanizing world, this question becomes all the more crucial. Urban Malaise is in fact a reflection of broader social, economic, and political evils in society and its addressal therefore be inclusive of the same. Ambitious civic and infrastructural works, and “Smart City” programs may not always have the answers to some of the deep-rooted social issues confronting major cities. Large Scale Economic growth and Developmental incentives may not always have the solution to some of the yawing iniquities of urban areas. Paris today, despite its architectural and civic glory still suffers from high rents, inequalities, and socio-economic segregation. Buenos Aires, a booming city in the late 19th Century, a city with a similar urban trajectory, continues to have a massive divide between exists between locals and immigrants. Air & Water Pollution, Noise Pollution, Poor Waste Disposal & Sanitation, and Disease & Soil Erosion continue to remain a huge issue in many cities in the developing world and developed world. Similarly, psychological issues like loneliness and urban alienation remain big issues even in cities across the world

Any effort, at the development and revitalization of Urban areas, should consider the city as an Organism, with a Past, Present, and Future, reflective of the larger society it is embedded in. Efforts at sustainability must be tied to the local context to make it more participative so that the latter does not risk coming at the expense of the former. Cities after all most prominent bastions of human progress. In repairing, what is the apex of human habitation, we are in fact addressing issues that lie at the core of humanity, and at the very core of our progression as a species.