Paris Metropolitan, an evolution

Main idea

This group will analyze the evolution of the Paris Metropolitan system from its inception. The group will look at two maps of the planning of the metro, from the definition of the routes to the addition of stations, a first map from 1908 of the actual metro after its construction in 1990, a second map from 1915, with already visible impacts of the first war, and a third map from 1950, a more contemporain look at the metro as we know it today. The goal is to analyze how different areas of major cultural attractions evolved around or hand in hand with the metro stations and the overall Paris metro system - basically answering the chicken and the egg question, and how the metro was impacted by catastrophic events such as wars.

Main steps

• Download in high resolution the different maps
• Create a list of all stations from the first map of 1908
• Determine the main cultural attractions around these stations
• Extract paths and stations from all maps
• Determine or extract coordinates of the different stations
• Store all data in files (csv, json etc...)
• Create maps alignment
• Compare the planned path and stations with the actual built one
• Compare pre and post wars maps and draw conclusions on the impact of wars
• Compare evolution of cultural attractions listed above, if new institutions appeared and if new metro lines were created due to them
• Create a website in order to display the maps in an interactive way
  • pop up windows on specific points, such as stations with strong historical backgrounds
  • an overlay of maps in order to better see the evolution from 1908 to 1950

Evolution of the project

As we have to produce a working interface within a short time, we intend to reduce the work of extraction of data to one map, the first map from 1908. Based on this map, an interface will be built with an overlay of a current map of Paris and the metro network extracted from the old map. From this visual display, important historical explanations will be linked to corresponding stations. It is based on this prototype that the possibility to conduct similar data extractions on the other maps selected will be considered.

Selected maps

The different maps selected for the project are the following:

Plan de Paris, avec le tracé du chemin de fer métropolitain (projet de l'administration) et les différentes lignes d'omnibus et de tramways, 1882

Plan de Paris [indiquant les lignes projetées du chemin de fer métropolitain en souterrain, tranchée, Viaduc, 1895

Paris, chemin de fer métropolitain ; lignes en exploitation, 1908

Paris Nouveau plan de Paris avec toutes les lignes du Métropolitain et du Nord-Sud, 1915

Paris. Plan d'ensemble par arrondissements. Métropolitain : vers 1950