The Government decided in 2003 to create a National Observatory for Sensitive Urban Zones -ZUS-, set up by the Inter-ministerial Delegation of the City (DIV). This Observatory proposes a list of indicators allowing statistical monitoring of the situation in -ZUS-. Paris priority geography is not confined to -ZUS-  defined in 1996, the City of Paris wanted an Observatory to be set up that would cover all territories of the City's Policy. Its creation was  included in the partnership programme  of the Apur in 2004.

Missions
The Observatory's missions are to capitalise on statistic data, using them to create adequate indicators that allow a precise analysis of the situation within districts. These elements help in the drawing up of  local diagnosis. They are helpful for reflecting on how to evolve the geography of priority districts.
The Observatory has thus contributed to evolving priority geographical zones by concentrating on the most difficult areas during the drawing up of the Urban Contract of Social Cohesion 2007-2009.
An important particularity of the Observatory is that it allows statistics to be close to reality on the fine scale of the -IRIS - on all Parisian territories and not only priority districts.

Functioning
Data is collected from different administrations, conventions having been drawn up notably with the French Social Security and Child Benefit Office -CAF- , the Paris Education Office -Rectorat de Paris- and the Employment Office -Pôle emploi- .
The monitoring and updating of the database, as well as associated work, is carried out in collaboration with the City of Paris (Delegation for City Policy and Social Integration) and Paris Police Headquarters -Préfecture de Paris- (City of Paris' Policy Mission).

Products

• The City of Paris’ Urban Policy. Observatory of priority districts in the capital. 2010 Report, February 2011
• Assessment of Parisian of Urban Contracts of Social Cohesion -CUCS- , CD-ROM, 2010, November 2010
• Evaluation du contrat urbain de cohésion sociale de Paris 2007-2010 (CUCS), Rapport de synthèse (in french), September 2010
• The Observatory's 2007 Report on Parisian Districts of the City of Paris' Policy – The New Priority Geography, study report, November 2007.
• Diagnostic Indicators per District for the Drawing up of -CUCS-, Apur, December 2006.
• City Policy, Parisian Districts, Note de 4 pages n°24,, Apur, February 2006.
• The Observatory's 2006 Report on Parisian Districts of the City's  Policy, January 2006.