It’s undeniable, there is today a dichotomy between Paris and its suburbs. A distinction that often pits the residents of the capital against those of its small (or large) ring, which the high commissioner for Planning intends to resolve by making Paname an expanded and united city. A completely wild project that could very well transform the daily lives of many of us.
A capital with new borders
In a note published this Thursday, June 4, 2026 , Clément Beaune shared his aspirations for the future of the City of Light. And if we’re honest, if his project is accepted, it could change quite a lot for Parisians. Indeed, he simply intends to push back the boundaries of the City, to now include 3 additional departments: Hauts-de-Seine, the Seine-Saint-Denis, and all the vibrancy they bring!
Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne.🏙️🇫🇷 La Métropole du Grand Paris, créée en 2016, a-t-elle tenu ses promesses ? Paris n'a pas changé ses frontières depuis 1859, il est temps de construire la « Ville du Grand Paris » ! pic.twitter.com/5Nr0edKHpu
— Haut-commissariat à la Stratégie et au Plan (@StrategiePlan) June 4, 2026
Result: a super metropolis bringing all these areas together, which will retain the name of Paris. A gigantic space, similar to London for example, which would encompass no less than 7 million inhabitants managed by a single mayor, directly elected by the people (just like in Paris since the PLM reform). This transformation would allow, according to the politician, to continue the transition and the exchanges set in place by the new metro lines of the Grand Paris Express.
It's the end of the line
As part of the creation of such a metropolis, however, Clément Beaune aims to simplify the administrative layers by removing a number of intermediaries, starting with the departments and
Le périph' n'a jamais été une frontière naturelle. C'est une frontière politique. Et on peut la défaire.
Le @StrategiePlan propose de fusionner Paris et la petite couronne en une collectivité unique, découpée en 40 districts. Urbanisme cohérent, transports pilotés à la bonne… https://t.co/otNVX2z7V9 pic.twitter.com/UxNLZPMVMw
According to the initial forecasts, the 8th, 9th, and 10th districts might merge, while the 14th could join forces with Malakoff and Montrouge. This would be a complete revolution that could reduce the levels to 3 (compared to 5 or 6 today): the region, the city of Greater Paris, and the famous districts, which would each group about 200,000 residents. A change that, as we can picture, might stir up some controversies if it were to happen…