When you think of
Paris , the first image that comes to mind might
be of wide avenues, gravel parks and a sea of undulating rooftops. But that's exactly the image the city is trying to change. A project led by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo aims
to make the French capital the greenest city in Europe by 2030. The proposal is to introduce an environmentally friendly vision of city life, ranging from
car bans to vast urban forests. . During the first pandemic lockdown in 2020, the city
turned 40 miles of roads into cycle paths , dubbed
corona pistes (corona lanes), and banned cars from the Rue de Rivoli – which stretches from the
Louvre to the Place de la Bastille . These initiatives are set to become permanent, so that all four of the first districts – about 70 percent of the city – will be
car-free by next year.
Major roads, including those running alongside the River Seine in the city centre, have been closed entirely to traffic. The world-famous Places Madeleine, Place Nation and Place Bastille have already been redesigned to make them
more pedestrian-friendly .
In addition, plans are underway to plant four new “
urban forests ” next to key city landmarks, including the Hôtel de Ville, Gare de Lyon and Opéra Garnier.
By 2026, more than 170,000 trees will be planted across the city. the capital , with 50% of the city covered by green areas by 2030.
As Paris prepares to host the
2024 Olympic Games , it also plans to give many other major attractions an eco-friendly makeover. The area around the Eiffel Tower, for example, will be transformed into an "
extraordinary park " in time for the games. Place de la Concorde – the largest square in Paris – will also be renovated with new green areas. And the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis will soon be home to a new, eco-friendly Olympic Village, Media City, and the Olympic Aquatics Center. The riverside pools, built for the Games and filled with clean water from the Seine, will later be turned over to public use. .
The plans go far beyond the 2024 Olympics. By 2030, Paris' most famous street,
the Champs-Élysées, will be transformed into an "extraordinary garden" as part of a massive €250 million makeover. Plans include reducing the number of lanes from four to two, creating new green areas and sidewalks, and planting “
tree tunnels ” that will improve air quality along the avenue. Source: Time Out
