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Paris gives green light for revamp of historic squares
The Local France - news@thelocal.fr
Published: 30 Mar, 2016 CET.
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The famous Place du Pantheon will be made more pedestrian friendly. Photo: Twitter/Anne Hidalgo
City chiefs in Paris have approved a plan to give seven major squares in the French capital a massive revamp to make way for pedestrians, cyclists and more greenery.
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Paris boasts numerous vast squares, with beautiful structures in their centre, such as the July Column on the Place de la Bastille – a symbol of the French Revolution – the Pantheon mausoleum or Madeleine church.
However, pedestrians often have to get through several lanes of snarled traffic, while a lack of cycling lanes makes crossing the squares a nightmare for those on bikes.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s plan aims to make “cyclists and pedestrians the priority”, with 50 percent more space dedicated to those not behind a steering wheel.
Drinking fountains and more greenery are also in store for the revamped squares – an election promise made by the Socialist mayor.
Her tweets below show how each of the seven squares will change.
La Place de la Nation deviendra une place jardin. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/UIuGYRxhBk
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
Redécouvrir l’Eglise de la Madeleine. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/3BT7BX1jfg
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
La Place Gambetta sera dédiée aux piétons et aux cyclistes. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/Wf5XimtAi7
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
La place de la Bastille sera ouverte sur le bassin de l’Arsenal. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/rzoPGAnUt9
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
Le pavé débarrassé des voitures, place du Panthéon. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/xnVkHRPCm8
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
Des traversées piétonnes place d’Italie. #ConseildeParis pic.twitter.com/A2TUaNGNML
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) 29 mars 2016
La future place des Fêtes à Paris https://t.co/tSzBBgEkrm #JDD pic.twitter.com/3lUbcHA9r2
— Le JDD (@leJDD) 6 mars 2016
The environmentally-minded mayor has taken several initiatives to green up the French capital, where pollution has become a major problem.
Last March, French authorities briefly forced half the cars off the roads of Paris under an even-and-odd licence plate scheme used during dangerously high smog episodes.
Hidalgo also announced in January that the famed Champs-Elysees avenue would from April be closed to traffic one Sunday a month and that one in two Parisian parks would be open 24 hours a day.
The World Health Organization says fine-particle air pollution is responsible for about 42,000 premature deaths in France each year.
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