City Profile

Paris, known as the "City of Light," is the capital and economic heart of France, with a GDP of approximately US$825 billion in 2021, the highest in the European Union. The city's economy is robust, driven by a well-educated workforce and key sectors like finance, business services, and creative industries including fashion and gastronomy. Paris also benefits from being a major transport hub, with two international airports and the second-busiest metro system in Europe. Notably, the city is a top global tourist destination, renowned for its museums and architectural landmarks, such as the Louvre, the world's most-visited art museum. The urban area of Paris is home to 11 million residents, making it the largest urban area in the EU by a large margin.

Paris rates as a Best in Class city and excels across all key categories of Investor Attractiveness, Assets, Urban Management, and Liveability.

This can be attributed to its highly developed infrastructure, including one of the densest public transportation networks in the world and significant advancements in digital connectivity. Paris is also a leader in sustainability, evidenced by its ambitious "Paris Climate Action Plan," which aims to make the city carbon-neutral by 2050.

Paris’s commitment to urban management and liveability is evident in its extensive green spaces like the Bois de Boulogne and efforts to improve air quality and reduce urban heat through eco-friendly urban planning. The city also benefits from a strong cultural heritage and a vibrant contemporary arts scene, enhancing its global attractiveness as a place to live, work, and invest. It will notably host the 2024 Olympic Games with an emphasis on using existing or temporary venues.

Case study

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games bids represent the new era of hosting major events. Aligned with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Agenda 2020, it is dominated by the use of existing or temporary venues, maximising efficiency, minimising costs and dramatically reducing the risk of unused venues post-Games. Major sporting and leisure events are under scrutiny like never before to deliver long term benefits for their host city, and the citizens within them. With the publication "Cities Alive: Rethinking legacy for host cities", Arup is rethinking legacy. From venue optimisation, through to innovative finance models securing long term investment, we believe there are new ways to help cities achieve long term value and increased civic engagement through hosting.
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