By Mascha Wolf
IVRY-SUR-SEINE, France, October 24 – At the confluence of the Seine and Marne rivers
southeast of Paris, the development of industrial wasteland is set to develop housing for
25,000 new residents, but old-timers fear it will bring gentrification and change Ivry’s
working-class nature.
The eastern half of Ivry-sur-Seine, sandwiched between the Marne and the Austerlitz railway
line, endured the painful aftermath of deindustrialization. Abandoned BHV warehouses and
Philips factories left behind underutilized land. In 2008 the municipality together with the
urban development company SADEV 94, developed an urban project to breathe new life into
the area: The Ivry Confluences.
The Ivry Confluences district, located in the Val-de-Marne region just south of the city,
covers a sprawling 145 hectares where the Marne flows into the Seine. Nearly a million
square meters are due to emerge from the ground by 2025 on numerous industrial wastelands and 25,000 new residents are expected there.
While the project reflects the city's desire to move beyond its industrial past, creating an
expansive urban district, some fear it might contribute to the transformation of Ivry-sur-Seine
from a working-class stronghold to a more sterile and gentrified community.
"Many residents feels like this is not a project for the people who live here." Antoine Marlier,
spokesperson for Urbanicc, an independent association advocating for residents' involvement
in the urban development of Ivry, says. “It’s like what happened with the Duo Towers.”
Marlier is referring to the other large scale urban development project that has left an
indelible mark on Ivry: the Duo Towers, completed in 2018, stand at 120 and 180 meters tall
respectively. Making one of the towers the third highest building in all of Paris.
Designed by star architect Jean Novel, their unique leaning silhouettes stand out against the
Paris skyline much like the Shard and Gherkin skyscrapers in London. They stand right on
the border between Ivry-sur-Seine and Paris, housing the headquarters for the banking group
BPCE and as of October 2023 a luxury hotel. Not much to offer for the residents of Ivry, who
saw the landscape of their municipality heavily altered.
The Duo Towers represent an unwelcome transformation of their municipality. The massive
buildings have not only changed the skyline but have also raised concerns about the impact of such structures on their local environment and quality of life.
“The towers host corporate offices and a luxury hotel. That has nothing to do with the
identity of Ivry” Marlier, says.
The municipality of Ivry-sur-Seine has a strong political affiliation with the French
Communist Party (PCF), with a rich tradition of leftist governance. This political orientation
has informed the approach to urban development in the region, often prioritizing social
housing and worker's rights.
Further backlash came from the towers’ massive carbon footprint - 1100 MWh of energy in a
single year, equivalent to the annual energy usage of over 300 households.
Now, with the Ivry Confluences set to open in 2025, concerns amongst residents of Ivry sur
seine are rising: will the Confluences be Duo-Tower-history repeating itself?
The city council of the municipality commissioned SADEV 94 to develop the project over
ten years ago with the aim “to balance housing and employment, and to support the
transformation of the city for all”, the official statement on the municipality’s website reads.
But the, for residents of Ivry, the Confluences have yet to prove themselves. Already in 2013, the project made its first enemies when the city council ordered the eviction of nearly 400 homes to make room for the construction of roads and buildings of the Ivry Confluences. SADEV 94 bought the homes for only two thirds of the market price, leaving many residents feeling betrayed.
In 2016, Sabrina Sebahi, former member of Urbanicc, now a French member of parliament,
called for the suspension of the project for one year, without success. Her aim was to pressure SADEV 94 to alleviate some of the project’s shortcomings. These she sees these
shortcomings mainly in a lack of communication of plans with the residents and a lack of
public spaces and shops within the Confluences. “It risks making Ivry a dormitory town.”
Architect and urban developer Bruno Fortier, who was hired by the city and development
company SADEV 94 to lead the Ivry Confluences transformation remains undeterred by past
shadows. "I want to preserve the spirit of Ivry-sur-Seine and combine it with the new. I hope the people have trust."
Saying he draws inspiration from Berlin, Fortier’s vision includes preserving the suburban
charm - cobblestone streets, inner courtyards, and historical dwellings - alongside
contemporary structures. “For a city to evolve, it can’t remain static," he says.
However, the Ivry Confluences project grapples with various challenges, from flood-prone
zones to soil contamination, pricing per square meter, and ambitious ecological goals. Still,
Fortier remains optimistic: “The Ivry Confluences are not the Duo Towers,” he says.
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