Back to reality? Residents of disadvantaged Paris neighbourhood worried Olympic charm won’t last

Since the early 2000s, the Porte de la Chapelle neighbourhood in the northern 18th arrondissement of Paris has been associated with higher crime, drug, and poverty rates compared to the rest of the capital.  

But with the Paris Olympics, the city has launched an ambitious urban renewal plan and heightened police security to transform the area. 

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who launched her re-election bid from Porte de la Chapelle in 2020, put the district’s €500 million makeover at the centre of her campaign. 

As part of the plan, an 8,000-seat arena was built to host badminton and rhythmic gymnastics during the Olympics.

It was the only such arena built in the district during the games but will continue to be used for concerts and sporting events. Two gymnasiums have been opened inside the arena for the residents of the area, which has long been deprived of sports facilities. 

The main avenue, Rue de la Chapelle, leading towards the city’s ring road, was recently relandscaped with more than 100 trees planted and the creation of bicycle lanes. 

“There are beautiful flagstone floors and gorgeous landscaping,” said Jean-Michel Métayer, director of the residents’ association “Vivre au 93 La Chapelle”. “It has really changed our lives.”  

“Before, it was very difficult to stroll around. Two gas stations have been removed. It’s night and day,” explained the 76-year-old activist, who has been living in Porte de la Chapelle since 1988.

But some residents and business owners are worried the harsh reality will settle back in after the Paralympic Games come to an end on 8 September. 

“The police presence was so successful, I hope it will be maintained. But I’m afraid that it won’t last,” said Farid, the owner of the Pari’Go bar located on the newly renovated Rue de la Chapelle. 

“The Olympics gave the area a boost but it was normal for France’s reputation. The authorities didn’t think about us first, they were thinking about the Olympics and the tourists as the priority,” said Farid, who believes the residents will once again be abandoned once the tourists leave. 

Farid told Euronews the Olympics brought many new visitors to his establishment but the renovation did come at a financial and mental cost. 

“We were affected by the construction work which lasted more than a year and a half. We had no help from the town hall and our sales plummeted at high speed,” he told Euronews. 

“It was a very hard time for us even because locals couldn’t get through, and neither could the disabled,” he said pointing to the poster of the before and after renovation photos of the avenue he displayed on his storefront. “The project finally came to an end, but we suffered a lot. And we’re the ones who paid for it.”

‘Sweeping the dust under the rug’

Until a couple of years ago, the area was known for its “crack hill” where up to 300 drug addicts gathered every day in 2020. Multiple migrant camps also bordered the roads. 

In October 2023, more than 80 organisations that work with migrants and the homeless joined forces to form the umbrella group “Le Revers de la médaille” (“The Other Side of the Medal”), to denounce what they called the “social cleansing” in the run-up to the Olympic Games.

They have accused the city of of evicting and relocating up to 5,200 people including migrants, drug users and sex workers outside of the capital — an accusation the local authorities firmly deny. 

“What’s the answer? Leave things as they are? We have to tackle misery and suffering,” said Mario Gonzalez, the deputy mayor of the 18th arrondissement in charge of urban planning. “We need to ensure that these communities are supported with appropriate facilities, but also within the framework of an urban transformation.”

“The two go hand in hand,” he added, claiming the neighbourhood has opened up a help centre for addicts and a few shelters for the homeless. “There’s no social cleansing, there’s an evolution of the city. We’re not leaving anybody on the sidelines of this transformation.”

As for the worried residents, the deputy mayor insisted they will not be left behind: “Today, residents shouldn’t have any concerns because the new facilities are permanent structures for everyone in the long run”. 

One example comes in the form of a university campus currently under construction. It’s scheduled to be finished in 2025 and is set to welcome more than 4,000 students in Porte de la Chapelle in a continued attempt to attract more people to the area. 

However, residents believe more needs to be done by state and city authorities to ensure these changes have a long-term impact on the neighbourhood.  

“The authorities swept the dust under the rug,” said Farid, the bar owner. “One day, it’s going to come back out from underneath. That’s why we need a stronger police presence.”