APUR, the Paris Urban Planning Agency, was founded 3rd July 1967 by the Paris City Council.

Its mission isto study and analyse the urban and societal evolution, which plays a role in defining Public planning and development policies, to contribute to drawing up the direction of the City of Paris' development objectives, particularly through its urban planning documentation and projects within Paris andits Metropolitan area.

To achieve this, it observes and analyses the evolution of Paris and its Metropolitan area using mainly demographic, economic, social and property data. It can undertake forward-planning, define proposals for specific actions, undertake studies, give knowledgeableadvice and also, contribute to these activities.

Dominique Alba, architect, has been the Director since 1st February 2012.

In 2008, a letter of assignment specified the six major themes of Apur's activities for the years to come:

• Housing, with the Council's commitment to financing 40,000 council homes by 2014
• Nature in the city and public spaces
• The 'Climate Plan'
• Evolution of urban landscape – particularly with the construction of new districts, many of which are in the suburbs of Paris.
• Mobility and transportation
• The role of Paris in the dynamic of Paris and its Metropolis (Paris Métropole).

Apur's projects are decided each year through adoption, by its Board of Directors.  A work programme is defined specifying all the studies, observatories and information processing that Apur is charged to carry out and to inform the board of Directors.  Most of these actions - apart from the observatories put in place for Institutional partners – are accessible to the general public on this site.

Furthermore, Apur may undertake any project or study corresponding to its defined objectives by responding to calls for tender from local or foreign government authorities or by participating in decentralised co-operative programmes