One of the world’s most famous shopping streets, the main road has eight lanes of traffic and runs between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde.
Under the new plans of architect Philippe Chiambaretta and his office, PCA-STREAM, car traffic will be reduced by half, while pedestrians can enjoy wider sidewalks and more greenery in what the agency calls ‘planted’ living rooms.
The avenue will be greener and more pedestrian-friendly.
PCA-STREAM
The transformation aims to attract more visitors to an area that, before the pandemic, was beginning to lose its luxurious luster, especially after sometimes violent demonstrations by so-called “gilet jaune” protesters against the government.
The Champs-Élysées Committee, a local association dedicated to the promotion and development of the area, celebrated the news Sunday in a statement following Hidalgo’s announcement in an interview with French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
“The mythical avenue has lost its splendor for the past 30 years,” said the committee, which began proposals three years ago to reform the area.
“It has been gradually abandoned by Parisians and has gone through a number of crises: the yellow vests, strikes, the health and economic crisis,” the committee said in the statement.
Place de la Concorde is also being rejuvenated.
PCA-STREAM
Reinvent Paris
According to PCA-STREAM, more than two-thirds of pedestrian traffic comes from tourists, with Parisians making up just 5% of the total traffic.
In the statement, the committee said it is celebrating the decision, which shows that the town hall “appears to want to make the total renovation of the Champs-Élysées one of the most striking urban projects of the 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 avenue will be completed after the games.
A Paris City Hall spokesperson told CNN that further details of the plan will be disclosed next week.
The Paris authorities are also working on a broader revitalization plan ahead of the 2024 Olympics.
Abandoned, disused and outdated spaces are given a new lease of life as new dining destinations, themed hotels, museums and recreational hotspots.
Some of the projects have been hand-picked as part of the city’s “Reinventing Paris” urban renewal campaign, which first started in 2014. They include a major cleaning of the Seine and the greening of the Eiffel Tower.