How did Haussmann's boulevards change Paris?

Philip Ball, writing for BBC Future:

A new study by a collaboration of mathematical physicists and social historians in France shows that, simply by analysing old and new maps of the city, it’s possible to quantify what effect Haussmann’s plans had on the shape and life of Paris. The results offer a case history of how cities may evolve through a combination of spontaneous self-organisation and top-down central planning.

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