Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann (1809–1891) was charged by Emperor Napoléon III with turning Paris into a capital worthy of an empire. Creating broad boulevards that connected the city and highlighted its greatest monuments, Haussmann used the principles of axiality and symmetry to build a city that was a showcase not only for France but for all of Europe. His model was widely admired, and it had many imitators. The power of the imperial government was required, however, to pay the enormous costs and to summarily eliminate large neighborhoods whose shabbiness did not suit the plan. This entry looks at the context of Haussmann's project, summarizes its principal features, and contrasts it with other European cities.