Marseille Euroméditerranée, or how to redevolop a city

At the end of the 1980s, Marseilles struggled with the effects of the development of its port, a blatant lack of financial resources and political in-fighting which prevented the possibility of any wide-ranging decision-making. In 1995, the State managed to encourage local authorities to embark on a vast operation of urban development in the historic and poverty-stricken centre of the city. Twelve years later, tens of thousands of houses and apartments and hundreds of thousands of square metres for office space have been built or renovated. Tower blocks, cinemas and meeting rooms designed by leading architects have sprung up. Gigantic, modern cruise ships are becoming increasingly commonplace. Leading world-wide economic companies and institutions are locating there. Marseilles is starting to reclaim its historic place as a major Mediterranean city.