Chronotopies - L'événementiel et l'éphémère dans la ville des 24 heures (Chronotopia - The happening and the ephemeral in the 24 hour city)

This paper is in line with a spatio-temporal approach to urban systems developed approximately a decade ago around the contemporary urban figures which had already been introduced, the "24 hour city", the "ephemeral", "festive" or "happening" city, the "city on the move" and the "a la carte" city. A first typology of happening is proposed, which leads us to a new approach on the ways we look at cities, by integrating the temporal and sensorial dimensions which characterize the planning of "event cities". The author makes the case for a "chronotopical approach " to cities and areas that crosses space and time and for a "temporal ecology", which also integrates these sensorial dimensions. He advocates the advent of "time city planning", which allows us to imagine cities that are more human, accessible and hospitable. Finally, he wonders about the interest and the limits of the happening in the context of the "malleable city" which he calls for.