Keys to a Livable Neighborhood: Lessons From Paris

What makes Paris such a great place to live, not just to visit?  My mid-rise Parisian neighborhood is so livable.  What are the key elements to its success?

1. 1.  Human Scale.  As you can see from the photo, Paris has a European perimeter block system of mid-rise buildings.  The buildings divide open space into comfortable, human scaled streets and snug, sometimes hidden, interior courtyards.  Wherever you go you always feel comfortably inside a good place.
   
   
2. 2.  Enough People.  The density of people is sufficient to support all the shops and services needed to allow people to meet their daily needs close to home.  This people density supports all the small scale shops and services we live.    (American cities and towns can learn from this.)  Without enough people, all the other good things would not be sustainable.
   
   
3. 3.  Interesting Walking Environment.  Having enough people means that the sidewalks are lined with shops, cafes, entertainment, and business services.  This is handy (my favorite cafe is in the ground floor of the building where I live) and makes walking pleasurable.
   
   
4. 4.  Excellent mobility.  The density of people supports good public transportation that provides convenient mobility throughout the city.  You can get to work, to school, to shopping, to entertainment, to connections to other neighborhoods and other cities, all without needing a car.  One reasonably priced Navigo transit pass provides mobility throughout the whole city.  And in Paris, no place is ore than 500 meters from a Metro stop.
   
   
5. 5.  Strong Community and Privacy.  Paris provides both community and privacy.  Walk out the door of the building you live in and you are immediately in the community of your neighborhood.  And as soon as the locals realize you are local, not a tourist, you are welcomed into the neighborhood.  But privacy is equally important to the French and your apartment is your private space secluded from intruders.  To enter a residential building a person must first key a 4-digit code into the pad by the door.  This allows entry into the first layer of private space, the hallway with mailboxes.  To get into the second layer of private space, with stairways and perhaps an elevator, a different 4-digit code must be keyed into the another digi-pad.  The third level of private space, your apartment, is behind a secure door, where you can check out a visitor before allowing entry.  In Paris you can be comfortable and secure both in community and in privacy.
   
   
6. 6.  Diversity.  Paris welcomes everyone.  Every day you experience the great variety of people of all ages who make their home here.  And Parisians treat each other with respect.
   
   
7. 7.  Great Public Places.  Paris is known for its major public places like the Champs Elysee, but living here one discovers the joy of many other public places large and small.  Walking in the landscaped median of a nearby boulevard.  Entering the gate of an urban park.  Walking in an elevated linear park built on a closed railroad right of way.  And perhaps best of all, sharing a glass of wine in a sidewalk cafe.  The French understand - Joie de Vivre - the Joy of Life.