Grand Paris

The Métropole du Grand Paris (French: [metʁopɔl dy ɡʁɑ̃ paʁi], "Metropolis of Greater Paris") is an administrative structure for cooperation covering the City of Paris and its nearest suburbs that surround it. The region came into existence on January 1, 2016 and includes the City of Paris, all 123 communes in the surrounding inner-suburban departments (Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne), plus seven communes in two of the outer-suburban departments, including the communes of Argenteuil in Val d'Oise, and Paray-Vieille-Poste in Essonne, the latter of which covers part of Orly airport. Grand Paris covers 814 square kilometers and has a population of 7 million.

The Métropole is administered by a Metropolitan Council of 210 members, not directly elected, but chosen by the councils of the member Communes. Its responsibilities include urban planning, housing, and protection of the environment.

The Métropole du Grand Paris should not be confused with the Grand Paris Express, a new transportation system being developed independently to connect the Departments in the Paris suburbs.

The idea of Grand Paris was originally proposed by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy as "a new global plan for the Paris metropolitan region" It first led to a new transportation master plan for the Paris region and to plans to develop several areas around Paris. The "Métropole du Grand Paris" was defined by the law of 27 January 2014 on the modernization of public territorial action and affirmation of cities as part of Act III of decentralization. The plans were considerably modified in December 2015, and the passage into action in two competences, economic development and protection of the environment, was delayed from 2016 to 2017.

The plan was first announced on 17 September 2007 during the inauguration of "La Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine", when Sarkozy declared his intent to create a "new comprehensive development project for Greater Paris". The project was organized by the French state, with the Minister of Culture and Communication charged with coordinating the consultation process.

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