This period saw a major expansion of ''la ville moyenne'', which spread along the lower hilltops and slopes of the city centered around the French residency. Modern urban planning was applied in ''la ville basse'' ("lower town"), which expanded from the base of the city's central hills into the surrounding rice fields. Major boulevards like ''Avenue de l'Indépendance'', planned commercial areas like the arcades lining either side of the avenue, large parks, city squares, and other landmark features were built. A railway system connecting Soarano station at one end of the ''Avenue de l'Indépendance'' in Antananarive with Toamasina and Fianarantsoa was established in 1897. Beyond these planned spaces, neighborhoods densely populated by working class Malagasy expanded without state oversight or control.