The days of unlimited motorist access to Paris’s iconic Place de la Concorde are coming to an end.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has already made significant moves aimed at reducing car congestion and improving pedestrian quality of life, has made her vision for the city’s largest square clear in a piece in La Tribune Dimanche.
A Place of change
The square is situated in the eighth arrondissement, east of the Champs-Elysées. It has seen many changes and could be argued to reflect the evolving attitudes and values of France. Originally named Place Louis XV, the 7.6-hectare site was planned and built by architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel to honour the King with an equestrian statue, and was finished by 1772. Almost immediately though, it became a focus for dissatisfaction with the monarchy.
After the French overthrew the monarchy and it was renamed Place de la Revolution, it became a place of execution by guillotine. Over 1000 people were executed their during the Revolution, including King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. From Universal Exhibitions to the liberation of Paris after the second world war and the 1998 World Cup victory it has been a site of national celebration.
Return it to the people
Now Hidalgo is framing her plans as a way to take the Place back from motorists and return it to the people, saying “the place given over to cars in this emblematic place will have been no more than a parenthesis in history”. In fact, she argues that by limiting car access to half its area, “traffic flows more smoothly”. The 2024 Olympics in the city will provide the springboard for the initiative.
A major overhaul and a refresh of its fountains will mean it is ready to welcome various events during the year’s sporting extravaganza, from basketball to the BMX freestyle, to breakdance and skateboarding, as well as the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games (28 August to 8 September), it will play a major role in Paris’s hosting plan.
A major promenade
After that, only half the square will be returned to motorists, according to Hildago, with the rest becoming instead a major promenade. Together with the Trocadéro and Iéna and the Champ-de-Mars, the Place will offer “50 hectares of pedestrian and planted spaces for strolling”, accompanied by “60 km of additional cycle paths“.
Sustainable and multi-modal transport options, accessible green spaces and the reduction of pollution are high on Hidalgo’s agenda.
