Between two inaugurations and the traditional visits to the neighborhood of Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), of which he has been mayor since 2008, Jean-Christophe Fromantin (DVD) returned to university.
Because the city councilor has already embarked on a very rigorous research work several months ago to produce a thesis on the future of business districts, through the case of La Défense.
For this, he is now a doctoral student at Paris I-Panthéon-Sorbonne, within the ETI Chair (Entrepreneurship, Territory, Innovation).
“I have been working on land use planning issues for years and have already published five books.
I now feel the need to work with a scientific approach to go to the end of my political reflection, ”explains Jean-Christophe Fromantin, also elected, since July 2021, vice-president of the departmental council and administrator of the Paris La Défense establishment. (PLD).
His last essay published in 2018, “Working where we want to live, towards a geography of progress?
», had sold nearly 5,000 copies.
“Creativity is moving to medium-sized cities”
For his thesis, the mayor of Neuilly will have to explore avenues in a methodical way, based on the theses developed for decades on the why and how of the construction of business districts, as well as on the evolution of their models. economics, on the sociology of cities and on their future.
“We are at a strategic moment when creativity is moving towards medium-sized cities.
We have reached the limits of hyperdensity,” emphasizes Jean-Christophe Fromantin, whose town serves as a link between Paris and the business district of La Défense, which is seeking to reinvent itself.
It is no coincidence that one of his research directors for this thesis is the urban planner Carlos Moreno, who originated the concept of the quarter-hour city.
A city model, where all essential services would be a quarter of an hour away, on foot or by bike.
Didier Chabaud, director of the chair and professor in entrepreneurship and strategy, is his other research director.
“Entrepreneur, mayor and now researcher”
The mayor of Neuilly will have to submit his work in several stages, with four scientific publications between June 2023 and February 2025. For a total which is generally around 2,000 pages, with writing punctuated by references having no connection with the fact of write a popular book.
“It takes a lot of work and it's impossible between two meetings,” smiles Jean-Christophe Fromantin, who locks himself up in his office for entire Saturdays to complete this thesis.
A timing that he did not choose at random: no electoral deadline is looming on the horizon before the next municipal elections in 2026. "It was the right time", recognizes the city councilor, who can free himself for a few hours per week for this new challenge.
"I will have ticked all the boxes: entrepreneur for twenty years, mayor since 2008 and now a researcher at the university", jokes the one who has just turned 60 and who does not necessarily fit with the image of Épinal des thésards , eternal students disconnected from reality.
Especially since his thesis on business districts will logically be a support for that of La Défense.
"I obviously informed Georges Siffredi (
the president of the Hauts-de-Seine department and of the Paris La Défense public establishment
) of this research work and he immediately told me that he was interested in the strategic thinking .
currently being carried out", explains Jean-Christophe Fromantin.
