Photo Credit : Author Capitole Square, Toulouse: The main city square with the city hall as its backdrop is one of the most visited places in the city. This picture depicts the transformation of the square as it becomes a stage for dance performances to create awareness among the public.
For a city, streets are the most ubiquitous, democratic and dynamic forms of public spaces. They are open to all and provide an equal ground for all sections of society to come together and participate in the drama of everyday urban life. From Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, India, to the Champs Elysees in Paris, France, streets depict the role of politics, economics, lifestyles, popular culture, opinions and important choices made in history, in shaping the present city form and society.
Map of France
In the city, the street is also a plastic space, malleable and in constant course of making and re-making. As our engagements with it continue to add new meanings to the urban space and prevailing practice, the street sometimes becomes the humble beholder of the everyday-ness, sometimes a powerful witness to past traditions being re-constructed and re-lived in the present, sometimes a glaring reflection of the growing unrest in society and sometimes an adorned manifestation of cultural marketing and city branding. The streets of France, known world over for their unique form and character, represent an intricate and complex mix of this. The examples in this photo essay highlight the transformations at different scales on well-known streets and public spaces in different cities of France.
Through physical notions of enclosure, axis, centrality, nodes and permeability, streets have contributed to a great extent in defining the spatial dimensions of everyday life and events alike. Though these spaces could be named, structured and mapped, their reality can only be lived through experience.
As streets channelize different social groups to come together and act together on their own terms, they lead to a co-created space owned by and belonging to everyone, thereby providing opportunities to enrich cultural identity and build a sense of pride and belonging.
Rue de Trois Rois, Cours Julien: Rue de Trois Rois is Marseille’s most vibrant quarter centre on Cours Julien, an elongated concrete square lined with great bars, cafes and music venues. The narrow side streets of the quarter are home to a wealth of bookshops, galleries, street art and ethnic restaurants. These small streets become lively spaces by the evening with shops and restaurants opening directly onto them and transforming them into an informal everyday social space. As the street art and multicultural scenery blend together, the street space creates an experiential backdrop for exchanges and celebrations to take place.Farmers market, Boulevard Auguste Blanqui, Place d’Italie, Paris: Open markets are an important part of French life. The footpath of the boulevard between the metro stations Corvisart and Place d’Italie transforms into a weekly Sunday market where farmers from the surrounding regions of Paris gather to sell their goods. This temporary market serves the immediate neighbourhoods with many fresh farm products, handmade products etc. The morning market utilises the street for installing temporary stalls with minimum disturbance or impact to the street or the infrastructure.Fete le Vin (Wine Festival), Bordeaux: Being the wine capital of the world, Bordeaux has it’s wine festival every alternate year. The festival celebrates wine, the most important part of the region’s culture. The riverfront is transformed into a theatrical space with exhibits from various parts of the world and lined with pavilions serving locally produced wine by dierent merchants of the region. People from various parts of Europe visit the city during this time of the year to celebrate and taste wine.Fête de la Musique (Music Day), Paris: Fête de la Musique is the annual music celebration of the country that takes place every year on June 21. On this day, people across the country and city play music in the streets, public places and parks. Public institutions, museums, churches etc., organise concerts for the public and some of these develop into large scale celebrations that attract thousands of people. The entire event is organised by the City of Paris with support from the Ministry of Culture. On this day the city transforms itself to celebrate music, with street performances, concerts and bands occupying street spaces to share in the collective enjoyment.‘Allez Les Bleus!’, Bastille, Paris‘Allez Les Bleus!’, Bastille, Paris: The moment the French football team entered the semi-finals of the World Cup 2018, people across the city and country came onto the streets and plazas to celebrate the win, chanting anthems and slogans of victory (‘Go Blue!’) on their way.
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