Off artistic spaces, such as artistic squats, techno traveller's party places and underground circuses, are flourishing in cityscapes. In the context of a growing emphasis on the role of creativity, a large urban neobohemia is assumed to be deeply interested in all kinds of creativity and forms of artistic expression. These off venues are used as tools in city's cultural policies. To understand these developments, it is necessary to review changes in the cultural policies of French cities over the last 30 years. The goals of cultural policies have moved from the supply of resident-oriented cultural services toward meeting the needs of newcomers and visitors. The city, as a built environment and a social fabric, is becoming the playground of cultural policymakers. We will put into perspective this shift in the attitude of planners and authorities toward these off spaces by examining the regeneration project of La Chapelle-Stalingrad area in Paris.