Paris Digest
Paris city guide since 1997
Grand Paris is the metropolitan institution including the city of Paris and 130 cities around her. Its cornerstone is Grand Paris Express, an ongoing project to build before 2030 220 km of metro lines across the metropolitan area. Paris facts.
The project was launched in 2007 by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The project objective is to extend the City of Lights beyond her current administrative limits by merging her with the densely populated suburbs around her.
The two main outputs of the project so far are the creation on January 1st 2016 of the Grand Paris metropolitan area, counting 7,15 million inhabitant and the launch of the Grand Paris Express metro system project.
Grand Paris was created on January 1st 2016. It includes the City of Lights and and 123 cities around her. The population of Grand Paris totals 7,15 million inhabitants over an area of 814 km2 (86,7 km2 for the City of Lights). It is divided into 12 territories counting each about 500 000 inhabitants. The City of Lights is territory n°1. La Défense, Rungis, Saint-Denis, Stade de France are in Grand Paris. Versailles, Charles de Gaulle Paris Airport, Disneyland are not. Grand Paris Metropolitan Area territory map.
Grand Paris Express is a massive extension of the old metropolitan network to Grand Paris. Its 4 metro lines will be numbered line 15, 16, 17, 18. They will have a total span of 200km and count 68 stations. Grand Paris Express will dramatically improve transportation in the metropolitan area for one million passengers daily starting in 2024 with the inauguration of circular line 15.
Grand Paris Express metro map
Grand Paris metro station pictures
La Défense is Europe's largest business district with 3 million m2 of offices and shopping centers. Altogether, 180 000 white collars work in La Défense, this very modern Grand Paris business district in T4 territory.
The systematic development of La Défense by EPAD in the perspective of the Champs-Elysées from 1958 until today was one of the driver of the creation of Grand Paris.
La Défense facts | Business in Paris
Managed by Viparis, the Villepinte Convention and Exhibition Center in T7 territory is the largest Convention & Exhibition Center in the metropolitan area. It has eight multipurpose halls of 7,100 to 48,000 m2 and hosts over 400 international professional and consumer exhibitions and conventions, such as All4pack, Europain, Eurosatory, Expofil, Intermat, Maison & Objet, SIAL, Silmo, IPA. Viparis runs 10 conference and exhibition venues in the metropolis, including Palais des Congrès and Porte de Versailles.
Paris Nord Villepinte facts
In T12 territory, Rungis is Grand Paris wholesale food market. 13 kilometers south of the city, near Orly Airport, Rungis Market is also the world's largest wholesale food market. It is also the largest market in Grand Paris. Rungis Market covers 232 hectares. 13 000 people work there. 26 000 vehicles enter every day. 1 698 000 tons of fresh food are brought in annually from all over the world. This fresh food is served the next day in the city restaurants.
Rungis market facts
