Un grand jour

I said "Well, it's not every day you move to Paris."

But that's just what he did.

A big day and a big city.

You know a city when you see one. Often by its skyscrapers.

Like Chicago

or Hong Kong

or New York.

But not Paris.

A huge metropolitan area with nearly no skyscrapers.

There's a reason for that. And it didn't happen by accident.

Way back in 1853, Napoleon III commissioned Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann to modernize Paris and the urban planning began.

His design was initially criticized, but later praised by his peers. The look of Paris today with its wide tree-lined boulevards, cafes, shops and large open spaces is evidence of Haussmann's vision.

Tall buildings were relegated to the outskirts of the city and with the exception of the Eiffel Tower (at ~1000 ft), built in 1889, Haussmann's vision continued

. . . until 1972.

Clearly "a 70's mistake", the 210 meter (689 ft) Montparnasse Tower entered the landscape of Paris.

Some say it sticks out like a sore thumb. No argument from me.

Perhaps in response, in 1977, a City Code was adopted limiting building height to 37 meters (121 ft).

The city of Paris has a population of only 2 million while the metropolitan area has 12 million, simply because there is very little housing within the city and it's as expensive as it is elusive.

In an effort to reduce "urban sprawl" and accommodate more residents closer to the city, a new urban plan was adopted in Paris in 2010. Apartments may now rise to 50 meters (164 ft) and office towers to 180 meters (590 ft).

But Haussmann's urban plan and the unique look of Paris will remain intact as these "skyscrapers" are still relegated to the outskirts, but not too far out.

Bienvenue a la maison, Ross.