A multicultural gym. Spaces and populations at Les Halles garden in Paris

Journal title TERRITORIO
Author/s Paola Briata
Publishing Year 2026 Issue 2025/112-113
Language Italian Pages 10 P. 128-137 File size 432 KB
DOI 10.3280/TR2025-112014
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This paper contributes to research that looks at life in contemporary cities as a form of ‘coexistence among strangers’, where getting used to difference is also seen as a bodily exercise in the space. A case study in Les Halles, Paris, is introduced as its centrality in the Île de France Region makes it a place of copresence of very diverse populations. A finegrain analysis of the practices of everyday life in Les Halles is proposed, coupled with the history of the area in terms of planning and projects from the 1970s. The paper’s main argument is that Les Halles represents a ‘multicultural gym’, where people can get trained to difference. The question is how this specific value could be taken into account in plans, projects, and policies.

Keywords: multiculturalism; Les Halles; Paris

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Paola Briata, Una palestra di multiculturalismo. Spazi e popolazioni al giardino di Les Halles a Parigi in "TERRITORIO" 112-113/2025, pp 128-137, DOI: 10.3280/TR2025-112014