From 26 to 29 August, the Welcome Week was held, a key event for welcoming students before the start of classes. This special time allows them to discover the School, meet their classmates, and participate in various activities, including field visits, workshops, presentations of the Lab, and last year's collective projects, as well as the inaugural conference.

This year, the Urban School had the honour of welcoming Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Watch the replay of the conference.

Among the new features of this edition was a two-and-a-half-day workshop devoted to data visualisation. Find out more.
 

AI Bootcamp: Understanding Urban AI Systems and their Political Dimensions

Students specialising in Governing Ecological Transitions in Cities took part in an immersive workshop on urban artificial intelligence systems, exploring their technical, political and narrative dimensions. The aim was to consider AI not only as a technology, but also as a political and cultural project.

Accompanied by Hubert Beroche, director of URBAN AI and consultant at the OECD, the students began with an introduction to the anatomy of urban AI – sensors, data, algorithms, governance – illustrated by concrete cases in Helsinki and Amsterdam. They then reflected on the geopolitical challenges of AI in cities, comparing the strategies of Paris, New York and China. The students focused on the case of Paris, imagining narratives to frame and promote AI in the capital, in line with its local values and priorities. The workshop ended with presentations and a group discussion on the tensions and opportunities associated with these narratives. 

Masterclass: Sociology of Organizations and Cooperation in the Workplace

This masterclass, led by Meryl Merran, introduced students to the sociology of organisations as a tool for analysing the dynamics of cooperation and power in the workplace. Through a theoretical introduction and case studies, they were able to reflect on the mechanisms of interdependence and negotiation between actors in organisations.

Far from simplistic hierarchical models, this approach gave them the keys to understanding the real dynamics that shape professional environments. In small groups, they analysed situations inspired by everyday life and developed a critical view of organisational tensions. An interactive, useful and stimulating experience for those who want to think differently about the world of work.
 

Field visits

The students visited various sites to discover an area or project related to their master's degree, accompanied by urban professionals. These visits were documented in images, thanks to photographs taken during the excursions.

The Grande Coco project (Belleville, 20th arrondissement) 

The Grande Coco project, winner of the 2017 "Inventons la métropole du Grand Paris" call for projects, is located in a former embroidered flower factory. The site is a third place dedicated to the transformation of the city and brings together a variety of activities: distribution of Restos du Cœur meals, co-working, a research centre on the transformation of the city, four shared apartments, a cultural canteen, a rooftop nursery, etc. The project brings together multiple partners, including the Foncière solidaire Bellevilles among its founders.
 

The Parc Princesse neighbourhood in Le Vésinet 

Located in the Yvelines department, Parc Princesse is one of the last vacant spaces in the commune of Le Vésinet, a park city protected for its landscape and architectural heritage. Designed in keeping with the site's historical identity, the project led by the city, Grand Paris Aménagement and Agence TER (Grand Prix de l'Urbanisme 2018) has given rise to an eco-neighbourhood inaugurated in 2023.
Spanning 18.3 hectares, it offers more than 450 housing units, 30% of which are social housing, a residence for the elderly and a residential facility for people with disabilities. The project prioritises landscape and environmental quality: 470 trees have been preserved, more than 1,000 have been planted, a sixth lake has been created, and large public spaces (65% of the site) promote soft mobility and biodiversity.

The Vaugirard railway workshops

Since 1910, the Vaugirard railway workshops have been home to maintenance activities for metro line 12, on a 2.3-hectare site. The modernisation programme led by the RATP group and its real estate subsidiaries, RATP Real Estate and RATP Habitat, aims to transform this industrial site into a new Parisian neighbourhood combining activities, housing and public facilities.
The presentation and tour were organised by the AME (Equipment Maintenance Workshop) team as part of the Urban School – Fondation RATP partnership.