This essay suggests a changed view on the Jungle of Calais, dismantled in 2016, by exploring its transformation into an informal city. Starting from an analysis of Calais’ political and visual geography, the essay studies how the »New Jungle« emerged and evolved during 2015 and 2016. This settlement originated from the authorities’ evictions of then-existing camps and the subsequent assignment of a defined area, which was treated like an extraterritorial zone. The New Jungle showed enormous dynamics, and grew to a settlement of 10,000 inhabitants within 18 months. In addition to traditional indicators for urbanity (condensing, differentiation, centrality), the analysis reveals the formation of a hybrid urban culture that is integrated into complex civil society networks. The authors see this as an evolution of the migratory mobile commons in a »border trap« (Michel Agier), caused by UK border’s externalization on French territory. The urbanity of the New Jungle resembles the French bidonvilles in the 20th century, which however reflects a global change of the urban — no longer understood as a permanent structure, but instead taking informal, precarious and ephemeral forms. Even after its destruction by the authorities, the New Jungle has remained a viable entity, as prevention of any new urbanization has become a central task for police action in Calais.