Grapevine

Analyzing economic activity in a growing city: Insights from 19th century Paris

Researchers have just published their findings on the analysis of economic activities over a century of urban growth in the city of Paris.

The study is published in Nature Cities. The authors are Julie Gravier (Center de Recherches Historiques and Center d'Analyse et de Mathématique Sociales, EHESS) and Marc Barthelemy (Institut de Physique Théorique and Center d'Analyse et de Mathématique Sociales, EHESS).

Understanding the evolution of economic activities alongside the growth of large cities is crucial but challenging, particularly for historical periods where comprehensive data is often unavailable. In this study, the authors leverage a newly released dataset, constructed from city directories, which includes extensive records of individuals, merchants, businesses, organizations, and institutions in Paris from 1829 to 1907.

This dataset contains approximately 1 million entries of economic activities, regularly updated over a span of 79 years, offering a rare historical perspective on urban growth and economic evolution. This period also encompasses significant disruptions, such as the transformative Haussmann's works (1853–1870) and political upheavals like the Franco-Prussian War and the Commune revolution (1870–1871).

Contemporary research on the dynamics of economic activity in cities typically spans shorter timeframes—ranging from a few years to a few decades. In contrast, the analysis of Barthelemy and Gravier covers nearly a century, providing a deeper understanding of how economic activities evolved during Paris' expansion.