Paris Isn't Dead Yet: Surviving Gentrification in the City of Light

by Cole Stangler

The Paris of popular imagination is lined with cobblestone streets and stylish cafes, a beacon for fashionistas and well-heeled tourists. But French-American journalist Cole Stangler, celebrated for his reporting on Paris and French politics, argues that the beating heart of the City of Light lies elsewhere-in its striving, working-class districts whose residents are being priced out of their hometown today.

Paris Is Not Dead explores the past, present, and future of the City of Light through the lens of class conflict, highlighting the outsized role of immigrants in shaping the city's progressive, cosmopolitan, and open-minded character--at a time when politics nationwide can feel like they're shifting in the opposite direction. This is the Paris many tourists too often immigrant-heavy districts such as the 18th arrondissement, where crowded street markets still define everyday life. Stangler brings this view of the city to life, combining gripping, street-level reportage, stories of today's working-class Parisians, recent history, and a sweeping analysis of the larger forces shaping the city.

In the tradition of Lucy Sante and Mike Davis, Paris Is Not Dead offers a bottom-up portrait of one of the world's most vital urban centers-and a call to action to Francophiles and all who care about the future of cities everywhere.

Genres: France, Nonfiction, History

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[Mai H.]

Non-fiction November TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and The New Press

[Davina Bisaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super interesting! I would’ve finished sooner if I didn’t become an islander but alas. Interesting and not super dense I really wanted to understand the inner workings of my favorite city (sin ny) and this was a cool way of getting under the surface. Paris is certainly not ready for me but it has no choice I’m coming 😘.

[Books Tea Magic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book drew me in for several reasons. One, I’m going to Paris for the first time next month and when I travel, I like to learn what’s brewing under the surface, beyond the tourism. Two, I lived for a couple years in French speaking West Africa and have since followed news of rising social issues across France. Paris is Not Dead examines the problem of gentrification and exodus of the working class, but simultaneously leaves us hopeful that all is not lost. It’s incredibly well organized, brimming with historical details, and is still highly readable. Cole Stangler is an exceptional writer — establishing the severity of the problems with poignancy, while making me fall in love these communities and their inhabitants. You better believe I’ll seek out the Goutte d’Or, the 18th arrondissement and beyond.

[Megan Rivera]

Even though I work at the publishing company who produced this, I couldn’t get through it! Loved the beginning which showed real stories of people being directly affected by gentrification, but my brain turns off after so much history. Still really enjoyed it, just got bored

[Anirudh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paris is often romanticised in the media as this beautiful city, with the picturesque cafés on its streets, the monuments, the museums, ad a city with a rich history of supporting writers and artists from all over the world, be it Picasso or Hemingway. However, the author of this book – Paris isn’t Dead Yet, the journalist Cole Stangler – talks about the rapid gentrification of the city, while there were always elitist arrondissements of Paris like the 16th, the city is slowly losing its working-class population and is being increasingly dominated by white-collared elites all across.

The author starts with the present day, explaining the most diverse Parisian arrondissement – the 18th which has Montmartre, atop which you have the iconic Basilica Sacré Coeur, along with some of the cafés most frequented by the tourists; but at the same time, a ten minute walk down the hill to Boulevard Ornano completely changes this picture – taking us towards Goutte d’Or in the 18th, a neighbourhood predominantly inhabited by working class consisting mostly of immigrants from West African nations in the Sahel. However, the author goes on to describe the changing situation here, wherein, they are being outpriced by the significant increases of rent in Paris, and also other costs, being pushed to suburban towns like Saint-Denis and Aubervilliers. A phrase that is often thrown around casually, is that ‘this neighbourhood is not like in the past, it is good now’, by which, what is often meant is that it has been gentrified – something often said about places like Belleville in Paris.

The author also talks about the history of the city, wherein, it was not uncommon for the rich and the working-class to share the same building, just that the size of their houses would be significantly different within the same building but that is hardly the case anymore. The author also explains how this is making the city lose its essential character of being a melting pot attracting people from all walks of life, and especially how freelance and independent artists can no longer afford the city unlike the era Picasso, James Joyce or Hemingway.

There are also detailed interviews with individuals whom the author has interviewed, people who had been living in a neighbourhood for decades eventually being priced out, and social housing being unavailable: The author also has conducted interviews with politicians within the city administration, and I found his conversations with the city councillor for Communist Party of France (PCF) – Ian Brossat, to be very interesting and insightful, especially on social housing.

That said, I enjoyed the level of detail in this book. But it needs to be highlighted I enjoyed it, and I could relate to it since I have been living in Paris for long enough, and fully understand what he is talking about – including specific street names that he brought up in the 18th. To be very precise, I myself am one of the people who are causes of this gentrification, given I live in the 18th arrondissement, the typical ‘white collar elite’ who is outpricing the original residents of the neighbourhood. However, what I am unsure is to what extent would people who are not familiar with the city would relate to it, given many of the places the author talks about are ones that would never be visited by tourists, be it Aubervilliers or Goutte d’Or.

If it is to highlight the situation in Paris and saving it from hypergentrification, I am not sure who the target audience of this book is, given that this is a book in English (I am not sure if a French translation is being planned), and for any work of non-fiction, it is reasonable to ask who is the target audience and I was unclear on that with this book.

On the whole, I had a great reading experience reading this book, sometimes was interesting to see references to cafés I have visited myself being referenced in the book. This was also insightful for me given I am living here and would like to have a say on making sure that the city is still accessible to people from all walks of life. On that note, I award the book a rating of f0ur on five.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written book that combines history, astute criticism, thought-provoking reporting and a positive vision for what Paris can become if it resists the current trend toward hyper-gentrification. The profiles of workers who have been priced out of their homes, suffer torturous commutes or settle for substandard apartments are deeply moving. The next time I visit Paris, I'll be sure to visit neighborhoods vividly profiled in the book like Belleville and Goutte d'Or. This book is part of an extremely important conversation about whether our most vibrant urban spaces will be remade in the interests of the many or continue as exclusive enclaves of the wealthy few.

[Megan Soetaert · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Paris Is Not Dead, journalist Cole Stangler takes readers through the present-day hypergentrification of Paris, historical modes of gentrification and working class vs. upper class conflicts over property in the city, French governmental policies that allow/promote radical increases in housing affordability, and the actions that some Parisians are taking to fight back.

This is a great read if you're interested in housing policy, gentrification, class struggles, and worker's movements--especially if you have an understanding of Paris and its banlieues. It was incredibly informative and situated a lot of my personal observations in Paris in historical and political facts/examples. I really appreciated how immigrants' and workers' personal experiences were at the forefront throughout this book.

I do feel like the chapter on the history of gentrification in France was a little too long--however, it is important to understand how the working classes in France have been fighting against discriminatory housing policies for centuries.

Thank you to the author, The New Press, and Netgalley for a free copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Apple · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t understand people who think like this author. This book is a strange glorification of poverty and communism. The author, who is an American living in France (seemingly the antithesis of what he advocates) laments the gentrification of Paris and the increasing privatization of housing. The book discusses how various neighborhoods have undergone commercialization and romanticizes the areas on the outskirts of Paris where open air illegal goods are sold. I’ve seen the areas he glorifies and they are worse than the worst parts of SF. He romanticizes squatting and advocates for state owned property as ways to bring Paris back to its working class roots.

The book was interesting to read because it did discuss the history of some neighborhoods in Paris which I found informative. While I agree that housing should be affordable, the author’s blatant romanticization of poverty without offering reasonable solutions was strange. The book is a pean to poor quality of life and seems to take for granted that people want to live this way. I’d be surprised if the author himself has ever experienced extreme poverty.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book that gave the impression it perhaps should have been a lengthy article.

There are a multitude of fascinating points in this book, from pieces of history to contemporary conversations. I enjoyed the way past and present coalesced, and there was a nice amount of attention given to different geographic areas and people of varied backgrounds.

But as much as I started the book curious to learn more, by around a quarter of the way through, I found it was one of those works of commentary where the author had a point to make but decided to spend more time trying to make it than necessarily helped. I think the analysis included would have made for a fantastic article or series of articles. Yet as a book, it was sometimes stuffed too full in a manner that detracted from a true appreciation of the judgments being made.

If this topic is of interest, then it's worth reading based on the thoughtful anecdotes included. It's probably one to breeze through rather quickly.

[Anny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deeply researched report on the "right to the city," as coined by Henri Lefebvre. This immediately reminded me of How to Kill a City by P.E. Moskowitz, whom I was pleased to see interviewed early in the book. Stangler includes many firsthand accounts of the working-class Parisians, many of marginalized backgrounds, who keep the city running without actually being able to afford living there. It was interesting to compare and contrast to the similar creep of gentrification in New York City, with uniquely French elements (history of a monarchy, strong tradition of unions and manifestations). Highly recommend for anybody interested in urban planning and the effects of capitalism.

[E_F_S · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Paris is Not Dead" by Cole Stangler is a thought-provoking exploration of the complex socio-economic issues surrounding housing in the city of Paris. Stangler presents flat and one-sided analysis that tries to challenge the notion that affordable housing is an inherent right. Mostly the book is thinly veiled attack on fair market valued real estate. The author weaves together cherry picked historical context, economic data, and on-the-ground narratives to construct a narrow argument.

[Doris Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stangler has a way of bringing to life parisian characters offering a clear image of the city. The historical part is particularly interesting and helps understand the present. Very well documented, with journalistic integrity, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who has ever been to Paris.

[Katie Troh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to check this out because I'm familiar with gentrification in the US, as well as French culture, so I wanted to know what it is like there. This book is interesting, even if you don't have a trip planned. I appreciate the bit of hope the author provides

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating overview of how the experience of living in Paris has changed over the last couple of centuries, combined with policy suggestions for keeping the city functional for its working-class residents. I’d love to read more books that approach these issues at the level of the individual city.

[Benjamin Dupuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre passionnant ! Toujours un bonheur de voir notre capitale depuis les yeux d'un auteur anglo-saxon... C'est vrai que Paris a beaucoup changé ces dernières années, je vous le recommande !

[Luke O'Connell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, invigorating, and radicalizing

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read for anyone living in a big city or planning to move to one. As someone who lived in France for a bit it was interesting to hear the individual stories of Parisian working class residents.

[Jessica Rushton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Only critique is how can he not have included Kassovitz’s La Haine?! A wonderful study of the Paris that is today, good connections to its past and a positive outlook to the future too.

[Teri L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to read how Paris and other cities are dealing with keeping housing affordable for working class people. Also deals with the history of Paris and its various neighborhoods.