Champs-Elysees by 2030

By Matthew McCarthy 

The Avenues des Champs-Elysees in Paris is a bit like Times Square in New York: it’s a top destination spot for tourists, yet few people who live in these respective cities actually go to these places, unless they have to. A recent study found that out of every 100 people who walk on the scenic Paris avenue, 56 are tourists from other countries, 12 are tourists from France, and the rest either work or live nearby the avenue. Use from locals in this area has been declining for decades and, with the increasing traffic, air pollution, and worn down infrastructure in the streets, the avenue has become less and less appealing for Parisians to go to.

The study was conducted by PCA, a private architectural firm, who has become the lead for a project which is set to transform Champs Elysees over the next eight years. The project started two years ago and is one of the most ambitious greening plans in Europe to transform a celebrated landmark. At the start of its conception, the project received over 250 million euro in funding to completely renovate the area. Two years in, it is still looking at how to make it an entirely different place by 2030.

Figure 1, Champs Elysees 2016

Just by looking at Figure 1, it's easy to spot how car centric the avenue was in 2016. Figure 2, which is the proposed plan, offers a much more multi modal and sustainable picture. In total the proposed goal is to “cut the amount of car space in half.” But more than merely taking away cars, the plan hopes to offer “planted living rooms” which can allow Parisians to walk and explore the avenue at ease, improve biodiversity in the area, and invite citizens back to this historic place. In total, the firm has outlined five specific areas of action: nature, infrastructure, mobility, uses, and the built environment. These five action areas lead to four specific values, which are: reducing the impact of urban mobilities, rethinking nature as an ecosystem, inventing new uses, and utilizing data. Apart from these broad aims and values, two important factors stuck out in this overall plan.

Urban Metabolism 

PCA notes that their research is built on the concept of the “urban metabolism.” Widely used when discussing urban ecology, the metaphor is quite simple: a city uses resources and produces waste. Under this simplified lens, the city itself is viewed like an organism; even though the concept was first introduced by Wolman in 1965,  Jane Jacobs seminal book The Death and Life of Great American cities undoubtedly provided a foundation for this ‘city as organism’ metaphor. As such, the concept not only encourages a more mindful approach to how resources are used but also how the many parts of a city work together in order to create a sense of homeostasis. 

Figure 2- Urban Metabolism

But even though this concept might be the most appropriate to tackle the challenges of the anthropocene, it is not entirely clear whether or not the city should be viewed as one coherent ‘metabolism’. Nonetheless it can be a helpful metaphor: what kind of resources does a city (or part of a city) use, and what kind of waste does it produce? Such a notion is perhaps entirely appropriate for a project where environmental stewardship was voted to be the number one concern.

Figure 3- Proposed project for Champs Elysees

Figure 3: Champs Elysees proposed project

Figure 4: Roundabout

Figure 5: Sidewalks

Interdisciplinary

 

 

Green space in urban areas has a long history of uses, ranging from food production, to leisure, to improved ecology. It is quite clear that the desired outcome is meant to have a broad number of positive effects: beautification, economic benefits, community building, leisure, and even the improved mental health of Parisians. Measuring the many benefits in this context is quite difficult, but the 250 million euro financing gives one and idea as to how exactly these benefits might be calculated in a more specific context. 

But the Champs Elysees project is also importantly interdisciplinary in another aspect. When it comes to large scale urban greening projects, it requires the coordination from a number of stakeholders- both public and private. Even though PCA is spearheading the project, government agencies, non profit agencies, business owners, and Parisians themselves are essential to the fruition of this project. Large scale greening projects necessarily involve the active engagement of a number of people, organizations, and researchers.

 

These kinds of projects- and this kind of coordination- is an increasingly necessary step for cities to take in the next few years. 

References

Jacobs, Jane. Death and Life of Great American Cities. The Bodley Head, 2020. 

Feng, Yuanqiu, and Puay Yok Tan. “Imperatives for Greening Cities: A Historical Perspective.” Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements, 2017, pp. 41–70., https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4113-6_3.  

“The ‘Champs-Élysées - History & Perspectives’ Study • Projects.” STREAM, https://www.pca-stream.com/en/projects/champs-elysees-study-48. 

 “'It's a Little Worn out': Parisians Unveil Plan for €250m Champs-Élysées Makeover.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 Dec. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/18/its-a-little-worn-paris-champs-elysees-in-line-for-250m-make-over.

Wolman, Abel. “The Metabolism of Cities.” Scientific American, vol. 213, no. 3, 1965, pp. 178–190., https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0965-178.