Transfers and exchanges: the role of Léon Jaussely from a transnational perspective

Léon Jaussely (1875–1932) was considered by his contemporaries as a forerunner and one of the most outstanding French planners of his time. He had a remarkable professional career in France and took part in several important international planning competitions. Jaussely’s work, in many respects, is central to better comprehend both the evolution of urban planning and planner’s exchanges at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, his significant role can only be fully understood from a transnational perspective. This paper aims, first, to analyse Jaussely’s distinctive approach to cities and urban planning. Secondly, it intends to place his ideas within the transnational debate and examine his connections with British, American, and German planning. His role as a passeur culturel in the diffusion and adaptation of planning international principles in France is then discussed, showing how this study can contribute greatly to the research on cross-national exchanges and the transnational circulation of planning models at the beginning of the twentieth century. Finally, insights on Jaussely and the French town planning movement can provide a deeper understanding about historical alternatives to modernist architecture, and therefore highlight continuities between nineteenth and twentieth century practices.