As the Tour Montparnasse turns 40, the much-despised office tower is getting a makeover. With a new lighting display and plans to replace its windows, the tower is trying to alter its image. But are the renovations likely to change perceptions?
"Built from steel and tobacco-colored glass, the 59-story Tour Montparnasse rises like a tombstone above Paris's idyllic canopy of low-lying flats. Postcards shun it in favor of its slimmer, more glamorous sister: the Eiffel Tower. The mayor has publicly yearned for its demolition, and a former president was so struck by the skyscraper he ensured it would be the last one ever built in the center of town," write Stacy Meichtry and Ben Schenkel.
But as the building enters middle age, defenders are hoping a facelift can alter impressions of the building they've come to appreciate. "'We're showing off the decolletage,' says Sylvie Andreu, who wrote a book for the Tour's anniversary. The Tour's bland appearance, she says, masks an 'inner depth.'"
FULL STORY: At 40, an Unloved Parisian Orphan Gets a Makeover
France Tightens Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
The vacation rental market is shouldering part of the blame for rising housing costs, particularly in popular tourist destinations.
Eurostar Temporarily Closing Two High-Speed Rail Routes
Eurostar is temporarily closing routes from London to Disneyland Paris and London to Amsterdam.
Paris Approves First Aerial Gondola
An aerial tramway project in the French capital cleared feasibility studies and could open in 2025.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service