March 19, 2024

The famous Champs Elysees of Paris prepares for a radical reform

The famous Champs Elysees of Paris prepares for a radical reform

(CNN) – One of the most popular roads in ParisThe Champs-Elysees is set up for a facelift that will see it transform into a pedestrian-friendly green space, after Mayor Anne Hidalgo has given the go-ahead for a major renovation project.

The avenue, one of the most famous shopping streets in the world, currently accommodates eight traffic lanes as it runs between the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde.

Under the new plans by architect Felipe Ciamparetta and his agency, PCA-STREAM, vehicle traffic will be reduced by half, while pedestrians will be able to enjoy wider sidewalks and more green space in what the agency calls “planted living rooms”.

The road will become greener and more pedestrian friendly.

PCA-STREAM

This shift aims to attract more visitors to an area that began to lose its upscale shine before the spread of the epidemic, especially after the sometimes violent demonstrations by “gilet jaune” demonstrators.

The Champs Elysees, a local association working to promote and develop the region, celebrated the news in a statement on Sunday after Hidalgo’s announcement in an interview with French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

“The legendary road has lost its splendor over the past 30 years,” said the committee, which began working on proposals to reform the area three years ago.

“Parisians have gradually abandoned this project and suffered a number of crises: yellow jackets, strikes, a health and economic crisis,” the commission said in the statement.

Reinvent Paris

More than two-thirds of pedestrian traffic comes from tourists, according to PCA-STREAM, with Parisians making up only 5% of all traffic.

The committee said in the statement that it is celebrating the decision, which indicates that the City Council “appears to want to make the complete renovation of the Champs-Elysées a prominent urban project of this decade.”

Hidalgo said the first phase of the project will include the renovation of the Place de la Concorde, which will take place before Paris hosts the 2024 Summer Olympics, and the rest of the road will be completed after the Games.

A city council spokesperson in Paris told CNN that more details of the plan will be announced next week.

Paris authorities are also working on a broader revitalization plan ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Abandoned, abandoned and outdated places will be given a second life as new food destinations, hotels, museums, and entertainment venues.

Some of the projects have been handpicked as part of the “Reinventing Paris” urban renewal campaign, which was first launched in 2014. They include a major cleaning of the Seine and the greening of the Eiffel Tower.