Banlieues 89: Urban Design and the Urban Question

Banlieues 89 was a design-led initiative in French urban policy in France in the 1980s. The initiative or 'movement',which was multidisciplinary in its approach, challenged existing preconceptions and professional practice with regard to inner and outer suburban areas. In its focus on combating social exclusion, the initiative presaged current preoccupations with social difference, marginality and urban design quality. This paper outlines critically the history of the Banlieues 89 movementand suggests that its contribution to urban design discourse has a contemporary significance.