Saint-Michel, an “emblematic” district of the difficulties of Parisian commerce | EUROtoday

It is likely one of the oldest roads in Paris, lengthy thought-about one of the vital enticing. Boulevard Saint-Michel, which separates the 5^e and 6^e districts over 1.5 kilometres, is in the present day struggling an acute retail disaster. In a “flash diagnosis” from July 2025, the Parisian Urban Planning Workshop (Apur) measured a emptiness price of 18%, in comparison with 10.9% within the capital.

“Boulevard Saint-Michel is emblematic of what is happening today in many districts of Paris: local commerce is being put under pressure, caught between inaccessible rents, land speculation, delivery platforms and fast fashion”summarizes Nicolas Bonnet-Oulaldj, deputy mayor accountable for commerce (Communist Party).

The state of affairs is such that it pushed the City of Paris to activate for the primary time, in June, the tax on business wastelands with a purpose to“encourage owners to put vacant premises back on the market”. This, which is triggered after two years of inactivity with a progressive price, is taken into account too little dissuasive by the left but additionally by the centrists of MoDem or the reasonable proper of Horizons. “It’s mostly symbolic”acknowledges Mr. Bonnet-Oulaldj, who wrote to all of the homeowners to provoke dialogue.

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