The Boulevard Périphérique, anonymous oeuvre of the Parisian technocracy: dissecting a design process at the crossroad of technical reason, social imagination and politics.
Primary supervisor:ÌęProfÌęClaire Colomb
Secondary supervisor:ÌęProfÌęBen Campkin
Starting date:ÌęSeptember 2016
Projected completion date:ÌęDecember 2022
Ìę
The Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©rique of Paris, a 35km ring road built around the city between 1956 and 1973, is a politically-loaded infrastructure whose omnipresence in the landscape is inversely proportional to the amount of critical literature dedicated to it. Was its design process the expression of an âapoliticalâ professional expertise seeking to maximise efficiency? What role did political, social and aesthetical considerations often reframed as âtechnical reasonâ play in its construction? To address these questions, based on archival work this thesis analyses the âsocial imaginationâ of the technocrats who designed the ring road, focusing on the administrative correspondence of civil servants working at the Paris prefecture as they communicated internally, with elected officials and with citizens. I recontextualise their design choices within their professional and cultural discourses, practices and imaginaries to analyse the Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©rique as socially produced.
First, I challenge the assumption that the ring road was built in an empty âzoneâ by demonstrating how specific actors managed to re-route the Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©rique, sometimes leading to evictions in suburban towns. Second, focusing on the socio-political constructionÌę of noise from road traffic as a ânuisanceâ, I argue that the shift from a technocratic governement to a democratically-elected mayor in Paris in 1977 impacted engineersâ evaluation of the technical feasibility of retroffiting the ring road with noiseproof walls. Third, I uncover evidence about the correlation between the social status of the ring roadâs neighbours and their capacity to impact on its design, demonstrating the ability of social elites to push for its concealment in their vicinity. Altogether, this thesis dissects the ring road as a âdesign entanglementâ by challenging the notion of âtechnical reasonâ as the guiding force of technocrats involved in its construction, throwing light on their biases, the political pressures they faced and hierarchies they were entwined in.
About Justinien
Urbanist, writer, editor and curator, Justinien Tribillon works across different media and disciplines: social science, photography, architecture, history. Justinien is a tutor and PhD candidate at The Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, where he explores the Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©rique of Paris as sociotechnical artefact. Justinien is co-founder and editor of , a six-issue publication exploring migration in all its forms. As a curator he has presented ââ on the migration of plants at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021. Together with Offshore Studio (Isabel Seiffert and Christoph Miler) he has also curated âInfrastructure â Visible Upon Breakdownâ, an exploration of the concept of infrastructure mixing social sciences and photography due to open at the Rencontres de la Photographie dâArles 2021. This latter exhibition has been cancelled due to Covid-19 but will be reimagined in a book format in 2023. Justinien has recently co-edited Concrete and Ink: Storytelling and the Future of Architecture (2021, nai010). As a writer, Justinien has written for The Guardian, MONU, The Architectural Review among others. Previous roles include Researcher then Associate Director for Europe at Theatrum Mundi (2017-2020).
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- Publications and other work
Journal articles
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2022. âWays of Seeing: Landscape-Infrastructure as Critical Design Framework to Analyse the Production of Parisâs Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©riqueâ. Landscape Research 0 (0): 1â16. .
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2021. âInventing âInfrastructureâ: Tracing the Etymological Blueprint of an Omnipresent Sociotechnical Metaphorâ.
- Tribillon, Justinien, and John Bingham-Hall. 2020. âLâessor des «âŻinfrastructures culturellesâŻÂ» urbainesâŻ: ou quand la «âŻcultureâŻÂ» devient un investissement comme un autreâ. Journal des Anthropologues (162â163).
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2014. âThe Localism Act in London: Institutionalising Urban Divisionsâ. Metropolitics.
Essays
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2016a. âMassey Harris: Mechanical or Trojan Horseâ. Pp. 54â61 in Migrant Journal No. 1 âAcross Countryâ, edited by J. Tribillon and C. de Almeida Brito. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2016b. âRocking the Austerity Boat: How Millenials Need to Rethink Tomorrow Citiesâ Economiesâ. in Making cities. Visions for an urban future, edited by Eurocities. Bruxelles: Eurocities.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2016c. âThe Fridge, the City and the Critique of Everyday Life: A Tale of Domestic Urbanismâ. MONU, April, 18â21.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017a. âThe Panic of 1873â. Pp. 114â19 in Migrant Journal No. 2 âWired Capitalâ, edited by J. Tribillon and C. de Almeida Brito. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017b. âWonders and Enigmas of the Migrating Coconutâ. Pp. 38â45 in Migrant Journal No. 3 âFlowing Groundsâ, edited by J. Tribillon, M. BĂŒsse, and D. Randulfe. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018a. â413 Grammesâ. Broken Nature, XXII Triennale Milano 2019, November 7.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018b. âCuando Los Imperios Se Derrubanâ. Pp. 25â33 in Sobre la LĂnea: la frontera vertical distribuida, edited by T. Tovar Torres, J. C. Espinosa Cuock, and P. Ceñal Murga. Mexico DF: Proyector.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018c. âCuando los imperios se derrumbanâ. Arquine, November 15.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018d. âGrand Ensembleâ. Failed States, May, 132â33.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018e. âWhen the Empires Collapseâ. Pp. 25â33 in Sobre la LĂnea: la frontera vertical distribuida, edited by T. Tovar Torres, J. C. Espinosa Cuock, and P. Ceñal Murga. Mexico DF: Proyector.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019a. â413 Grammesâ. in Design. De la nature Ă lâenvironnement. Nouvelles DĂ©finitions., edited by C. Geel and E. Hale. Paris: T&P Work Unit.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019b. âLondon Is the Place for Meâ. Pp. 58â109 in A City of Comings and Goings, edited by Crimson. Rotterdam: nai010.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2020. âTourist Trapâ. The Architectural Review, May, 6â15.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2021. âOut of the Woodworkâ. The Architectural Review, October 2021.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2022. âLost in Transitâ. The Architectural Review, May 2022.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2022. âStudent Residence Paris-Saclay, France. Brutherâ. The Architectural Review, June 2022.
Journalism
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2015a. âDirty Boulevard: Why Parisâs Ring Road Is a Major Block on the Cityâs Grand Plansâ. The Guardian, June 26.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2015b. âWhy Is a Paris Suburb Scrapping an Urban Farm to Build a Car Park?â The Guardian, September 11.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2016a. âHow Nature Turned a Failed Communist Plan into Bucharestâs Unique Urban Parkâ. The Guardian, June 14.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2016b. âParisâs River Revolution: The Supermarket That Delivers Groceries via the Seineâ. The Guardian, March 1.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017a. âNew Life in the Kingdom of Death: The Plan to Redevelop Subterranean Parisâ. The Guardian, February 6.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017b. âPlongĂ©e dans les sous-sols endormis de Parisâ. Courrier international, March 3.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017c. ⌌ąŚȘŚŚ Ś©Ś ŚąŚŚš ŚŚŚŚšŚŚȘ Ś ŚŚŠŚ ŚŚȘŚŚȘ ŚŚŚŚŚâ. Haaretz, February 7.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018. âA Walking Cure for Sarcellitis: Can Trails Unite Parisâs City and Suburbs?â The Guardian, January 25.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019. âA Mirage of Luxury Built on Sandâ. Magnum Photos. Retrieved 1 March 2019 ().
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2020. âThe Value of Culture in Austerity Britainâ. Theatrum Mundi.
- Tribillon, Justinien, Isabel Seiffert, and Christoph Miler. 2018. âSubatomic Diplomacyâ. Pp. 22â39 in Migrant Journal No. 5 âMicro Odysseysâ, edited by J. Tribillon, M. BĂŒsse, and D. Randulfe. London: Migrant Journal Press.
Edited volumes
- Tribillon, Justinien, and Catarina de Almeida Brito, eds. 2016. Across Country. Vol. 1. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien, and Catarina de Almeida Brito, eds. 2017. Wired Capital. Vol. 2. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien, Michaela BĂŒsse, and DĂĄmaso Randulfe, eds. 2017. Flowing Grounds. Vol. 3. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien, ed. 2018. Dark Matters. Vol. 4. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien, Michaela BĂŒsse, and DĂĄmaso Randulfe, eds. 2018. Micro Odysseys. Vol. 5. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Tribillon, Justinien, Michaela BĂŒsse, and DĂĄmaso Randulfe, eds. 2019. Foreign Agents. Vol. 6. London: Migrant Journal Press.
- Michalowska, Marta, and Justinien Tribillon, eds. 2021. Concrete & Ink: Storytelling and the Future of Architecture. Rotterdam: nai010.
Conference papers
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2017. âProducing the Banlieue: Rethinking Infrastructural Landscape and Parisâs Metropolitan Identity via the PĂ©riphĂ©riqueâ. in SĂ©minaire de la Chaire Villes Globales. Fondation Maison des Sciences de lâHomme.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018a.âParisâs Concrete Belt: Rampart or Connector?â, June 21, Future of London Annual Conference.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2018b. âProducing the Parisian Banlieueâ. Royal College of Arts.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019a.âProducing the Paris Banlieueâ, March 27, Columbia University.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019b. âThe Infrastructural Landscape of Paris: Dissecting the Metaphors to Develop New Methodologiesâ. in (Infra)structuring ideology: discourse and visuality - G1. Manchester Urban Institute, Manchester University.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2019c. âThe Words of âInfrastructureâ: The Journey of a Concept That Came to Define Modernityâ. University College London.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2020a. âImagining, Designing and Building Parisâs Boulevard PĂ©riphĂ©rique: Understanding the PĂ©riphâs Role in the âProduction of the Banlieueâ and Parisâs Infrastructural Landscape (1943-1973; 2007-Today)â. University College London.
- Tribillon, Justinien. 2020b. âLarger than Life: Landscape-Infrastructure as Critical Design Framework for Post-War Parisâ. Urban Institute, University of Sheffield.
Teaching
Academic Year 2016-2017
- PGTA, BENVGPD5 City Planning (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BENVGPL6 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BENVGTC4 Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, ENVS1016 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
Academic Year 2017-2018
- PGTA, BENVGPD5 City Planning (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BENVGPL6 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BENVGTC4 Urban Design: Guidance, Incentive and Control (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, ENVS1016 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, ENVS2008 Cities and Social Change (MyAV·¶, BSP)
Academic Year 2018-2019
- PGTA, BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BPLN0013 Planning Practices in Europe
- PGTA, BPLN0071 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- Studio Tutor, M ARCH: Architecture (Central Saint Martins, UAL)
Academic Year 2019-2020
- PGTA, BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BPLN0071 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
Academic Year 2020-2021
- PGTA, BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BPLN0071 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
Academic year 2021-22
- PGTA, BPLN0038 Comparative Planning Systems and Cultures (MyAV·¶, BSP)
- PGTA, BPLN0071 Contemporary Cities (MyAV·¶, BSP)
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