Olympic Village, Olympic Aquatic Center, Olympic events... In Seine-Saint-Denis, the Plaine Commune urban area will be at the heart of the reactor for the Paris 2024 Games. A way of speeding up its urban renewal dynamic, and attracting tourists, companies and future residents. Emmanuel Blum, Managing Director of the Plaine Commune Attractiveness Agency, explains.

An Olympic territory

For the duration of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Seine-Saint-Denis will become the center of the world. In Dugny, the Media Village will welcome 1,300 journalists. Home to major venues such as the Stade de France, where the athletics events and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held, the Plaine Commune area is proof of the Games' legacy, such as the construction of the Olympic Aquatic Center, which will open in April 2024, 3 bridges and crossings, and the redevelopment of the Canal Saint-Denis. In addition, three of its cities (L'Île-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine) will house the 14,000 athletes in the Olympic Village. “Our local area perfectly met Paris 2024's requirement to be a competitive area as densely populated as possible within the metropolitan area. The fact that the Games Organizing Committee is based in Aubervilliers is symbolic of the dynamism that the event is bringing to the local area,” said Emmanuel Blum.

Paris 2024: a gas pedal for urban transition

Faced with numerous environmental, social and economic challenges - including high youth unemployment - Plaine Commune hopes to use its hosting of the event as a major lever to instill new social and urban dynamics, and make the community an anchor for companies. “In 1998, the redevelopment of the Plaine Saint-Denis area allowed for the rehabilitation of numerous sites and the rebalancing of the area. The Games should mark a new turning point because they allow for the acceleration of major development policies,” said Emmanuel Blum. The partnership with Paris 2024 has thus allowed for a boost to the local economy, particularly for companies in the construction and public works sector, as well as amplifying certain development projects. The Georges Valbon departmental park (La Courneuve) is undergoing an extension-renovation of 13 hectares of polluted land, and the banks of the Saint-Denis canal are now lined with pedestrian and cycling paths.

In Pleyel, metro line 14 will be extended to reinforce the public transportation network, while the Pleyel Tower will be converted into a 4-star hotel. Bridges, footbridges and urban crossings are also being developed. “All these projects are a way of reshaping the city, recreating links between districts that have been isolated by sharp urban divides. “

The Plaine Commune urban area includes 9 cities: Saint-Denis, L’Île Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Aubervilliers, Pierrefitte-sur-Seine, Épinay-sur-Seine, La Courneuve, Villetaneuse and Stains.

Effects designed for the long term

This global event is sure to boost the image of Seine-Saint-Denis: “a media image that's worse than the reality,” said Emmanuel Blum. “But Plaine Commune will be much more than a showcase: its transformations will be far more profound. The work of redesigning public spaces allows for a long-term collective commitment,” he added.
The department was also chosen as one of the host communities because it is part of the Paris 2024 “Legacy and Sustainability” Plan. After some work, the Olympic Village, which has been built with materials designed to absorb heat islands, will become a new, viable district for families, with 2,800 apartments and a potential population of 7,000. “Environmental and energy sustainability are guaranteed. This future district demonstrates our collective ability to innovate in the manufacture of sustainable cities,” said the Managing Director of Plaine Commune's attractiveness agency.

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