As the 2024 Olympics loom large on the horizon, Paris has made a daring move by selecting the banlieue, the working-class outskirts of the city, as the location for its Olympic Village. The shabby social-housing buildings in Saint-Ouen, to the north of Paris, stand in stark contrast to the newly constructed, glistening Olympic Village.

Houdia, a 63-year-old resident of Saint-Ouen, is just one of the many locals who will bear witness to the metamorphosis of the Olympic Village. As she gazes out from her crumbling abode, she sees not just a spectacle for the town, but a symbol of hope and rejuvenation. The village will soon house over 14,000 athletes during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. What’s more, once the games have drawn to a close, the village will be transformed into homes for around 6,000 people, with a significant portion allocated to social housing.

The primary focus of this regeneration project is to bridge the gap between the impoverished northern suburbs and the River Seine, breathing new life into the long-neglected banks of the Seine. The Mayor of Saint-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, views the Olympics as a catalyst for hastening the existing regeneration plans and altering the perception of the Parisian banlieue. The goal is to instill pride, identity, and joy in the working-class communities that have often been sidelined.

The decision to utilize the banlieue as the location for the Olympic Village has been a strategic one. By promising to revitalize a historically underprivileged area, the aspiration is to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit the local community long after the games have concluded. By allocating 80% of the event budget to Seine-Saint-Denis, the Olympic Games have played a pivotal role in advancing the development plans that would have otherwise taken decades to come to fruition.

For Houdia and numerous others within the community, the transformation of the Olympic Village marks a new era – an era where the working-class outskirts of Paris are no longer viewed as ‘the damned’, but as thriving, vibrant communities that stand shoulder to shoulder with the city itself.

As anticipation for the impending Olympic and Paralympic Games reaches fever pitch, the residents of Saint-Ouen and the surrounding areas are filled with hope and excitement. The once-forgotten outskirts are now seen in a new light, as focus shifts from grand, monumental building projects to the tangible impact on the daily lives of local inhabitants.

In the end, the era of colossal grandeur is over, and the Paris Games have ushered in a fresh start for the working-class communities that form the beating heart of the city.