What: Westfield has opened its Les Ateliers Gaîté shopping mall this month as part of a revitalisation initiative for the Montparnasse area.

Why it is important: The project represents Westfield’s mission to regenerate cities through the retail developer’s projects that work to improve neighbourhood traffic flow, profit and overall appeal for local customers instead of acting as shopping destinations.

Les Ateliers Gaîté has added a pedestrian crossing, a green square and favoured bike paths while retaining 70% of the original building structure in Montparnasse. The mixed-use space is more than a shopping centre, bringing 310,000 square feet of shopping, 140,000 square feet of office space, 62 social housing units, a city library, a daycare centre and the biggest food court in Europe all anchored to the 950-room Pullman hotel and conference centre.

The goal is to fulfil the Montparnasse neighbourhood’s needs through a bakery, wine shop, hardware store, fitness centre and local artisanal shops. Claire’s is the sole international mall chain store.

Westfield opens Parisian mixed-use mall