Paris was the political hotbed across all of the revolts(1789, 1830, 1848, and again in 1871). As a result, many parts of Paris had succumbed to the revolutionaries. The narrow streets of Paris allowed for the mobs to create blockades and prevent the opposing forces from attacking. These barriers made Paris uncontrollably at times.$^1$
Napoleon III(1852 - 1870) asked his administrator(Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann) to modernize Paris. He asked him to bring clean water and modern sewers to Paris. He wanted the streets to be lit with lamps. He asked him to build a central market, parks, schools, hospitals, asylums, prisions, and administrative buildings. The final part of the Hussmann’s plan was to reshape paris.$^1$
Haussmann was given the nickname “The Demolisher”. He got this nickname due to the nature of how he reshaped. He destroyed the old and narrow streets of paris and replaced them with wide and straight boulevards. These streets were built in such a way that they highlighted the important cultural aspects of Parisian life. He installed street lamps for safety at night, he renovated the the sewage system for public health, and aqueducts for clean water.$^1$ $^2$
Haussmann cleaned up the city. Before the Haussmannisation of Paris, the city suffered from disease and crime. It was necessary for Paris. However, many hated him. This bad reputation is mainly attributed to the writing of one Victor Hugo. He was treated like a god in Paris, and he hated Haussmann, so everyone else did.$^2$
But the haussmannisation of Pairs wasn’t all good. It displaced nearly 12,000 people. The richer population were quickly rehoused, but the poor suffered. Many Parisians disliked the wider streets because they would make it organise and execute any political revolt. As mentioned previously, the narrow and windy streets of Paris was an important part of the political revolts.$^2$