Editing Ajaccio (section)

===Urbanism===
[[File:2016 Ajaccio (1).jpg|thumb|left|300px|Port]]
Although the commune of Ajaccio has a large area (82.03&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), only a small portion of this is urbanized. Therefore, the [[urban area]] of Ajaccio is located in the east of the commune on a narrow coastal strip forming a densely populated arc. The rest of the territory is natural with habitation of little importance and spread thinly. Suburbanization occurs north and east of the main urban area.

The original urban core, close to the old marshy plain of ''Cannes'' was abandoned in favour of the current city which was built near the ''Punta della Lechia''. It has undergone various improvements, particularly under Napoleon, who originated the two current major structural arteries (the ''Cours Napoleon'' oriented north–south and the ''Cours Grandval'' oriented east–west).

Ajaccio experienced a demographic boom in the 1960s, which explains why 85% of dwellings are post-1949.<ref>''The Cities of France'', by Fabriès-Verfaillie et Stragiotti, 2000 {{in lang|fr}}</ref> This is reflected in the layout of the city which is marked by very large areas of low-rise buildings and concrete towers, especially on the heights (''[[Les Jardins de l'Empereur]]'') and in the north of the city - e.g. the waterfront, ''Les Cannes'', and ''Les Salines''. A dichotomy appears in the landscape between the old city and the imposing modern buildings. Ajaccio gives the image of a city built on two different levels.