Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo approved a new plan to revitalize the Champs Élysées ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
A century and a half after Baron Haussmann, at the behest of Napoleon III, overhauled the city of Paris with wide boulevards and expansive gardens in a vast reorganization that aimed to modernize the city and prevent civil unrest, city leaders are once again transforming its most famous avenue, the Champs-Élysées, hoping to revitalize what has become, for many Parisians, a lackluster corridor of luxury shops and car dealerships.
A plan proposed by the Champs-Élysées Committee, a group of local community and business leaders, calls for a redevelopment that is "ecological, desirable and inclusive" ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, writes Kim Willsher for The Guardian. Committee president Jean-Noël Reinhardt argues that despite its globally famous reputation as "the world's most beautiful avenue," today's Champs-Élysées is "looking worn out." Philippe Chiambaretta, an architect with the firm that designed the new plan, cites the Champs-Élysées as symbolic of urban problems around the world including "pollution, the place of the car, tourism and consumerism." The Committee's plan calls for reducing the space allocated for vehicles by half, building additional pedestrian zones, and installing more parks and greenery to reduce air pollution and enhance the streetscape. The proposal has been approved by the city's mayor as part of a concerted effort to "transform the city" before the 2024 Olympics and lay the groundwork for long-term projects.
FULL STORY: Paris agrees to turn Champs-Élysées into 'extraordinary garden'
The Car-Free Revolution Continues in Paris
The city continues to reclaim space for pedestrians and cyclists.
America's Cultural Invasion of the Champs-Elysees
When the next iteration of the oldest military parade in the world celebrates the French Republic by marching down the Champs-Elysees, as it invariably does every Bastille Day, it will pass through what is increasingly becoming an American mall.
Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs
The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.
Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households
Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont