Several European metropolises plan to build new tower blocks – is it a good idea, considering the ever more popular concerns with sustainable energy and the environment? Does the tower block really belong to the city? Does it participate to a ‘welcoming urbanism’? Which are its advantages, which its inconveniences? These questions need to be asked in order to consider another issue, which shrouds the whole context: which city do we want? This conference inaugurates a mini-cycle of two lectures dedicated to the issue of the tower blocks [flyer].

Conference speaker

Thierry Paquot is a philosopher of the city, a university teacher, an editor of the journal Urbanism, a member of the editorial team of Urban (Italy), Localities (Korea), Scape (the Netherlands); he is also member of the commission of the Vieux Paris, of the scientific council of Datar, as well as being the president of the Académie nationale des arts de la rue. He also wrote several books, including La Folie des hauteurs (Bourin-éditeur, 2008), L’espace public (La découverte, 2009), L’Urbanisme c’est notre affaire! (L’Atalante, 2010), Un philosophe en ville (Infolio, 2011).

Conference