The city of Paris has adopted the ‘Plan Local d’Urbanisme’ (PLU), which limits the height of new buildings to 12 storeys or some 37 metres.
The move is part of a larger Plan Local d’Urbanisme Bioclimatique (Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan) which aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote more environmentally friendly construction in the French capital.
It also comes in response to the construction of Herzog & de Meuron‘s 180-metre Tour Triangle tower which began in 2021 and should be completed in 2026
Set to stand at 42 storeys with 91,351 m2 of floor space, the Tour Triangle would become the third-tallest building in the city, behind only Tour Montparnasse and the Eiffel Tower.
The battle for the approval of the new norm was led in particular by Green councillor Émile Meunier, who called the move 'historic', adding that the PLU ‘marks the end of towers to return to a reasonable height.’
Mayor Anne Hidalgo explained that the Paris’ city council vote and the new ‘bioclimatic’ plan will ensure Paris remains ‘attractive and pleasant in coming years despite the acceleration in the temperature.’
After the contentious construction of the 209-meter-tall Montparnasse Tower, which was finished in 1973, some areas of Paris imposed a height restriction of 37 meters for future structures in 1977.
This restriction was lifted in 2010 by former mayor Bertrand Delano in favor of a restriction of 180 meters for office towers and 50 meters for apartment buildings.
