Can the City of Light turn green? Mayor Anne Hidalgo thinks so: She gave the go-ahead to a project to turn the Champs-Élysées into an “extraordinary” garden. Some streets will be turned over to pedestrians and tunnels of trees will be planted to improve air quality. The eco-overhaul of the world’s most famous avenue builds on Hidalgo’s previous moves to crack down on polluting vehicles, turn the once congested banks of the River Seine into strollable promenades, and create new bike lanes during the COVID-19 pandemic. An annual car-free day in the French capital allows pedestrians to walk the Champs-Élysées to bring them “face-to-face” with the Arc de Triomphe and other monuments – part of a growing global awareness of the importance of cleaner city air.
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