Professional Documents
Culture Documents
48 Destinations of the World News, April 2007 www.dotwnews.com www.dotwnews.com Destinations of the World News, April 2007 49
Matching townships Insight
After a slow start during its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris has become one of Europes most popular tourist attractions
Factbox
adding, its not a financial dimension, level. The pavements are noticeably districts. Giral adds that one quarter it look more like a hotel. The town is others, only 39 per cent of employees square metre, more than 400
this is a strategic dimension. wider than in typical towns and Giral of the land has to be set aside for also incredibly secure since Disney has and 37 per cent of visitors intend one companies have moved to Val
It has served its purpose. explains that this is to accommodate nature reserve, which means that, on its own security force. Surprisingly day to move to Val dEurope. The town dEurope and many are clustered in the
The original five historic villages mothers with prams. He adds: For completion, residents will benefit from this doesnt come at a great cost. may be almost too clean-cut for some Arlington centre. Of course this is no
only had 4,000 residents combined but The education facilities at Marne-la- A total of 40 shuttles per day connect each building you see, the first 115 hectares of green space including Marne-la-Valles five villages are with some buildings seeming like a ordinary business park and looks more
Marne-la-Valles total now stands at Valle include a university campus, Val dEurope to Roissy and Orly question asked by the management is, 28 landscaped water features. among the richest towns by inhabitants theme park version of Paris than a real like a Californian university campus
20,000. Of these, just 10 per cent are four middle schools, 12 nursery international airports. what value does this project bring in Disney is also building a carbon in France, Giral said. French town. It is also still very young, than an industrial zone.
Disney employees and growth has schools and an international high It takes eight minutes to get to terms of quality of life? neutral sustainable nature resort in This is down to three reasons. First, but Giral isnt concerned. Our new Disney chose to sell to Arlington,
been dramatic. Val dEurope itself only school with teaching entirely in Roissy airport by TGV from Marne- To ease the transition between the partnership with holiday park operator the level of rent, which averages challenge is turning the area into an which has other parks in Shanghai and
began operation in 2002 and housing foreign languages. la-Valle/Chessy station; it takes 30 city and residential areas, cross-breed Pierre&Vacances to open in 2010. US$4,300 per square metre, is one economic hub, he said. Barcelona, because of its focus on
supply is increasing at a rate of 500 The towns main shopping centre minutes to get to central Paris by RER neighbourhoods were created made However, the leisure offerings for third the cost of downtown Paris. Disney paid US$53 million for the landscaping and client focal points
new units every year. includes more than 140 shops, 15 from Val dEurope. up of lower buildings and small houses. residents are already world-class. Second, since it is a new town, there local TGV station which will become including restaurants, fitness rooms,
Disney projects that the entire area restaurants, a giant aquarium. In 2020, Val dEurope will be able to Familiarity is increased even more In addition to the theme parks, is a tax benefit and finally, Disney has the largest hub in France this year dry cleaning and child care facilities.
will have 40,000 inhabitants by 2020 68 trains pass through the Marne-la- provide nearly a million square metres through the structures themselves. Marne-la-Valle residents have sailing, paid a whopping US$1.1 billion of tax serving 108 destinations with more Perhaps most impressive is that the
and it has only developed around half Valle/Chessy station every day. of office space in the city centre. Buildings have three distinct parts cycling, tennis, fishing and 10-pin into the local area from which than 40 per cent being international. Arlington was only opened in late 2004
of its 2,000 hectare allocation. which, from roof downwards, are bowling facilities onsite as well as a residents have benefited. Charles de Gaulle airport is just and it is already 70 per cent full. In total,
Disney itself doesnt design the known as top, faade and podium and 27-hole golf course, 15-screen cinema Nevertheless, rents have still eight minutes away by TGV and is Val dEurope has 65,000 square metres
buildings, instead that was left to The wizards who invent Disneys so that they stand the test of time. these are used to create a likeness and discount retail park with shops set increased three-fold from the projects served by 40 shuttles every day of office space, but by 2020 this is
American design bureau Cooper ingeniously immersive theme park And to relieve the gloom that settles for all property in a particular into small cottage-style buildings. inception which has brought a broad from Marne-la-Valle. Orly, Paris projected to rise to a massive
Robertson. Foreign consultants also attractions have come up with equally on the area in winter, homes are neighbourhood. For example, all Even this was deliberate, Giral grin to property-owners faces. second airport, is served by 960,000sqm 300,000sqm in the centre
had a hand to give the town European impressive planning concepts which painted in light colours. podiums in the main square, Place explains. Since the goods sold are last In 2003 Atoo consultancy surveyed another 30. These links have attracted and 660,000sqm in the Arlington.
flair with the central caf conceived by explain Marne-la-Valles burgeoning Giral adds: We have 20 per cent dAriane are freestone, but no two years lines, the operators know which 400 residents, employees, visitors and big businesses. Whether the projections are met
Belgian Lon Krier, who is known for popularity. It seems that everything, of social housing, but you wont are identical. And to limit parking are bestsellers and the flexible students. The results revealed that 93 BNP Paribas and KPMG have their remains to be seen, but Giral is already
his services as architectural advisor to no matter how minute, has been recognise it. We are working each problems and increase light at street structure allows for shops to extend per cent were satisfied with their living regional headquarters there, as does confident about overcoming his
the Prince of Wales, and the new oval- thought through. project as if it would be the project and level, the largest buildings are no taller their floorspace accordingly. environment with the same percentage Socit Gnrale whose HR manager challenge. The hardest part is
shaped square, Place de Toscane, by The most immediately apparent that definitely makes a difference. than five storeys, even in the zones of Many of the other Marne-la-Valle most appreciating the safety, Laurent Platel explains: For the definitely behind us, he says.
the Italian Pier Carlo Bontempi. decision is the use of 19th century- This comes across as the high highest population density. Dimensions facilities would normally be found in cleanliness and public facilities. same price it would be difficult to find Its hard to imagine that just 15
However, Giral stresses that we style architecture. Giral explains that standards are seamless from the streets of squares have also been kept modest cities, such as a university campus, four However, although 95 per cent of better elsewhere. years ago Disneyland Paris was failing
have people on our team to check that this was chosen over modern designs and even more thought went in at this so passers-by dont feel lost. middle schools, 12 nursery schools and them would recommend a visit to With rents of only US$315 per to even get its countrymen through its
the architecture, the materials used by Integration between new and an international high school with gates when now, not only are they
the developer and the final product are For each building you see, the first question existing residents is a key concern so teaching entirely in foreign languages. Disney is also building a carbon neutral doing that but they are also living and
really suitable to the vision.
It takes a sprinkling of Disneys
asked by the management is what value does shopping areas and parks have been
created between the old villages,
And in 2010 it is getting a next-
generation hospital with soaring
sustainable nature resort in partnership with working onsite. At this rate, Disney
may not need to use any more of its
pixie dust to achieve the results. this project bring in terms of quality of life? business parks and new residential atriums and huge bay windows making holiday park operator Pierre&Vacances magic to achieve its aims.
50 Destinations of the World News, April 2007 www.dotwnews.com www.dotwnews.com Destinations of the World News, April 2007 51