The Extraordinary Urban Planning of La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a city in the Vendée department of France. The city is a successful example of urban planning carried out in a wartime atmosphere. La Roche-sur-Yon was rebuilt after being devastated by the wars of the Revolution and subsequently, Vendée wars. The architect Jacques Gabriel used cutting edge geometry to lay out the city's streets, which are perfectly straight and aligned to the cardinal directions. The streets lead directly to the castle and provide unhindered views of it. The city's symmetry and precision are breathtakingly beautiful. The Vendée wars are an important part of the city's history, and several monuments on the city streets commemorate them. I compare La Roche-sur-Yon's urban planning with that of other cities I have visited. The precision and harmony of La Roche-sur-Yon's street design surpasses even that of Paris. They are similar in scale and shape, but Paris's streets do not have the same geometric rigour or number of stunning vistas. The effects of wartime on urban planning can be seen in other cities, such as Brussels, but the effect is not as strikingly beautiful as in La Roche-sur-Yon. Apart from its architecture and history, La Roche-sur-Yon is famous for its festivals, exhibitions, museums, parks, and monuments. The City Hall is a historical landmark for tourists to visit. I think with its unique geometric architecture, La Roche-sur-Yon has potential as a film locations for sci-fi movies set in space cities.
