Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper that she has approved a €250 million project to transform the 1.9km Parisian avenue into a green pedestrian-friendly space.
The news has been welcomed by the Champs-Elysées committee, an organisation which has been campaigning for a major redesign of the area since 2018. The committee, made up of local community leaders and businesses, invited architect Philippe Chiambaretta and his firm PCA-Stream to draw up designs for the transformation of what is often referred to as “the world’s most beautiful avenue”.
The plans were first revealed in 2019, with proposals including the reduction of space for vehicles by half, the transformation of roads into green areas for pedestrians, and the creation of tunnels of trees to improve the air quality of the area.
The transformation will be carried out in stages, beginning with the redevelopment of the Place de la Concorde square at the south-east end of the avenue. This is set to be completed by the time that the city hosts the Olympic Games in 2024; the rest of the avenue is expected to be renovated by 2030.
