Parigi e i luoghi del commercio: innovazione versus stratificazione

The concept of innovative city refers to an archetype of technologically advanced and characterized urban space; however, the ‘historical’ city regenerates not only by welcoming innovative activities but also by reorganizing itself from the socio-morphological point of view. For long, the idea of the historic centre has wrongfully returned an image of space crystallized over time no longer in line with the needs of the contemporaneity. Today, finding a dialogue between tradition and innovation is essential in view of the implementation of renewal activities that will increasingly concern the built environment. Focusing on the emblematic case-study of the Les Halles district in Paris, this essay intends to highlight how some urban transformation are in contradiction with the ‘city’ itself.