Last year, we looked forward to Christo\u2019s temporary transformation of the Arc de Triomphe<\/a> (an installation<\/a> now scheduled for October this year) but now, Paris has announced big plans for the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es, the iconic avenue that leads up to the Arc de Triomphe. The Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es will be getting a permanent facelift over the next few years bringing greenery, and hopefully new life, back to the beloved Parisian promenade.<\/p>\n
In a statement<\/a>, the committee behind the project stated that over the last three decades, the \u201clegendary\u201d Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es<\/a> had \u201clost its splendour\u201d and been \u201cprogressively abandoned by Parisians.\u201d To reinvigorate the avenue, the design will see that vehicle traffic is reduced by half, streets are transformed into pedestrian areas, and green areas are added to improve air quality.<\/p>\n
In recent years, though, the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es has lost a critical part of its nature: the people of France. According to research released at the end of 2019<\/a>, around 100,000 people circulated along the avenue each day. Of those pedestrians, 72 percent were tourists and 22 percent were people who work in the area. Today, the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es is lined with high-end retailers and expensive cafes, leaving little question as to why fewer locals head to the thoroughfare.<\/p>\n