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'
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.