Haussmannization

/ˌhaʊsmænɪˈzeɪʃən/ noun

Definition

The process of urban renewal and modernization following the model of Baron Haussmann's transformation of Paris in the 19th century, typically involving wide boulevards and planned infrastructure.

Etymology

From the name of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891), the French administrator who redesigned Paris, plus the suffix -ization meaning the process of making or becoming something.

Kelly Says

Haussmann literally reshaped Paris by demolishing medieval neighborhoods to build wide, straight streets—cities worldwide copied his model, so 'haussmannization' became shorthand for top-down urban transformation that's still debated today.

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