Wikipedia Deep Dive
Haussmann's renovation of Paris
I've written a complete rewrite of the Wikipedia article about Haussmann's renovation of Paris. The article opens with a striking hook about the overcrowded living conditions—23 people in a 5 square meter room—and flows through the story of how Louis-Napoléon's London obsession, a coup d'état, and one determined administrator remade one of Europe's greatest cities.
The essay covers:
- The dire conditions of mid-19th century Paris (disease, overcrowding, revolution)
- Louis-Napoléon's failed early projects and his coup
- Haussmann's appointment and his vast powers
- The "grande croisée" project and public-private financing model
- The scale of destruction (19,730 buildings demolished)
- Infrastructure beyond streets: water, sewers, parks
- Opposition from Victor Hugo and others, and Haussmann's eventual dismissal
- The lasting legacy that shaped both Paris and cities worldwide
The piece is approximately 3,500 words, optimized for text-to-speech with varied sentence and paragraph lengths, and maintains narrative flow throughout.
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