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In the 1960s, France's post-war reconstruction was gradually improving the social condition of French citizens. The resulting disposable income was often used for leisure, as summer vacations were becoming part of the new French way of life. Among the most popular tourist destinations in the country were the Atlantic coast and the Cote d'Azur, both of which catered to well-off citizens with luxurious hotels and villas.
Thus, just like their northern European neighbours in search of affordable sunshine and warmth, the French were going south of the border, to Spain. There, the quickly developing Costa Brava was already equipped to handle the development of mass tourism and offered low-cost package holidays that were accessible to modest families.
Meanwhile, on the narrow roads of the under-developed, 200-kilometre-long western Mediterranean coast clogged with cars making their way south, the Languedoc seaside had little to offer but a few swampy, mosquito-infested fishing villages.
Surprisingly, this is were the French government decided to implement a major urbanization plan, aimed to compete with Spain and give a place — and a reason — for tourists to spend their time and money in France while developing a local economy that was still heavily reliant on the production of wine.
Through a plan named the Racine Mission that was launched in 1963, French president De Gaulle intended to invest three billion francs to build 500,000 new beds for tourists as well as the necessary infrastructure to support this growth, such as roads and highways, sewer systems, ports, parking lots, and green spaces.
The selected site consisted of a 180-kilometre stretch of coast, a swamp for the most part, extending from Marseille southwards to the Spanish border. Six new resorts would eventually populate the land, which was secretly purchased by the state in order to prevent speculation.
In order to prevent the concrete wall effect observed on the Cote d'Azur, the plan included a strong set of rules to control the urbanization of the coast. First, each of the six resorts would have a total surface area of 600 to 800 hectares, with an average density of 100 beds per hectare. Furthermore, each of those new developments would be separated from the next by 6000 hectares of protected land.
Car traffic is restricted within the protected areas. A highway located in the back country connects to the seaside resorts thanks to smaller, secondary roads. Parking is built at a minimum distance of 600 metres from the pedestrianized coastline, preferably at the entrance of each town.
The construction of what is referred to as the 'New Florida' and 'French California' began in 1965 in La Grande-Motte, after a massive mosquito abatement campaign. Philosopher-architect Jean Balladur was responsible for planning and designing the city. He drew his inspiration from the pre-Columbian pyramids found in Mexico and from Le Corbusier's work.
Dredging started in 1966, with the port being the first piece of infrastructure that was created and inaugurated in 1967. Simultaneously, more soil was excavated in order to raise the ground height of the future city by two metres.
The first pyramids were erected and the inaugural residents moved in in 1968, realizing what was one of the largest state-sponsored tourist projects in Europe. The year after, in 1969, the mall and its 31 shops opened.
With the principle of 'Difference and Repetition,' Balladur conceived a city for 110,000 people, with well-being at the centre of the plan. Each pyramid was built perpendicular to the coast, doubling the number of units with a sea view. Retail spaces line the streets at ground level.
Every apartment features at least one balcony or terrace, thanks to the 60° incline of the facades. Concrete is the main material used for the construction of the city since it is cheap and expected to age well in the city's mild and dry climate. Concrete is resistant to the salty sea breeze, and its malleability puts few restrictions on the architect's design.
La Grande-Motte was incorporated in 1974, taking its independence from the nearby city of Mauguio. As a result, the construction of both the first school and the Saint-Augustin church started in 1975, followed by that of the city hall, which was inaugurated in 1982.
In 1983, the city officially opened a convention centre while a golf course was built in 1986, followed by a thalassotherapy centre in 1987 and a secondary school in 1988. The construction of the city's main neighbourhoods and infrastructure was spread over 20 years.
In 2010, La Grande-Motte was awarded the title of '20th Century Heritage Site' by the Ministry of Culture, in recognition of its architectural heritage.
The city now features three hectares of beach, 43,000 trees, 31 hectares of untouched natural spaces, 20 kilometres of pedestrian promenades, and seven kilometres of bike paths.
The project has been successful, with many families buying a summer property in La Grande-Motte and injecting significant money into the local economy. However, many of these residences consist of small, seasonal properties, which leave many buildings mostly empty from the early signs of gall in October through the beginning of spring in April. Such is the case for the five other resorts built within the Racine Mission.
Out of the 293,000 beds created since the 1960s, 223,000 of them are secondary residences. A vast project was launched a few years ago, aiming to transform some of those holiday residences into permanent residential units. Nowadays, an average 15 million tourists spend their holidays in the region each year and, while 5,000 permanent residents call La Grande-Motte home, more than 100,000 people flood the city's streets in the summer.
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