France: A metro for the suburbs | European Journal

2010-09-17 1

French President Nicolas Sarkozy dreams of a 'Grand Paris' that encompasses the outer suburbs. Many residents doubt the plan has their interests at heart.Clichy-sous-Bois is a neighborhood at the edge of Paris. Many immigrants live there, and unemployment is high. There is no subway or railway station, so the area is pretty much cut off from Paris. The mayor of Clichy-sous-Bois is skeptical about a Greater Paris. Snazzy new buildings would be of little use here. But the new plan does include a metro stop, and improvements in infrastructure could have a positive effect on the employment situation.