Paris’ Champs-Elysees, one of the main landmarks of the French capital often called “the most beautiful avenue in the world” by the French, is set to be entirely transformed into an extraordinary garden. The decision follows years of campaigning by activists to salvage the tourist trap from overcrowding, overpriced cafés and an overall noisy environment shunned by Parisians.
The roads will be pedestrianised and turned into a green space, and trees will be planted to improve air quality. The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said the first stage of the redevelopment will be ready in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the remaining work to be completed by 2030. Mayor Hidalgo has already been able to reduce traffic in the city, closing two main road arteries that ran along the river Seine and building new infrastructure for bikes and electric scooters.
A Champs-Elysees lobby group pushing for the project said it was “delighted with this announcement and welcomes the decision by the mayor’s office which appears to want to make the makeover of the Champs-Elysees one its main urban projects of this decade.”
In 1670, Champs-Elysees was first designed and built by Baron Haussmann, the architect behind the transformation of Paris under Napoleon III in the mid-19th century. Over the centuries, the venue has been hosting celebrations and commemorations over the centuries, including political protests. It was the scene of clashes between the police and “yellow vest” anti-government demonstrators in 2018 and 2019. The famous road has also been the finishing point for the annual Tour de France cycle race as well as the Bastille Day military parade, which celebrates the French republic and its armed forces on July 14.
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