Questioning public histories of urban planning: an investigation of ‘urbanisme horloger’ narratives in the Unesco site of Le Locle/La Chaux-de-Fonds

A critical examination of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle challenges the dominant narrative that their urban planning, known as 'urbanisme horloger,' was inherently linked to the social organization of watchmaking communities. The study focuses on a key 1835 planning document by Charles-Henri Junod, revealing discrepancies between its interpretation and the broader heritage narrative. This analysis highlights both the complexities and opportunities in how planning histories are publicly disseminated and appropriated by diverse actors, offering new perspectives on urban heritage-making processes.

De Pieri, F. (2018). Questioning public histories of urban planning: an investigation of ‘urbanisme horloger’ narratives in the Unesco site of Le Locle/La Chaux-de-Fonds. Planning Perspectives, 34(2), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2018.1559756