Sarkozy unveils a sweeping, 21st century vision for Paris and its troubled suburbs

Sarkozy unveils sweeping new vision for Paris

PARIS — French President Nicolas Sarkozy has unveiled an ambitious, costly new plan to rethink the structure of Paris and its troubled suburbs.

Sarkozy says a key focus of the plan should be expanding the French capital’s links to the English Channel via more trade along the Seine River and a new high-speed rail line to Le Havre.

Sarkozy announced the plan Wednesday after several renowned architects presented blueprints aimed at adapting the Paris metropolitan area to modern needs.

A key aim is to better link layers of scattered suburbs around Paris, including isolated housing projects that exploded in riots in 2005 by largely minority youth frustrated over discrimination and unemployment.