Marne-la-Vallée: De la Ville Nouvelle à la Ville Durable

Co-editor: Clément Orillard
Marseille, Parenthèses, 2012

This edited volume offers a comprehensive look on the origins, development and present state of Marne-la-Vallée, the largest French postwar new town begun in the 1960s and still growing today. Located on the outskirts of Paris, stretching over more than twenty kilometers, Marne-la-Vallée is both representative of French postwar regional planning and urban design practices and somewhat exceptional because of the presence of Disneyland Paris that has considerably influenced its development for the past two decades.
The first part of the book discusses the mix of French and international features that gives Marne-la-Vallée its unique identity. The second part describes the major episodes of this planning, urban and architectural adventure. The last one is devoted to some of the contemporary challenges faced by the new town, from its role in the Parisian region at large to the place played by the rising economy of knowledge in its further development. Of special interest is the role played from the start by environmental concerns. At Marne-la-Vallée, the quest for sustainability meets with the history of recent urbanism.