This Famous Avenue is Undergoing an Extreme Makeover – for the Better!

The Champs-Élysées in Paris, France is one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and a colossal project aims to transform the mythical avenue into a greener and pedestrian-friendly space.

The $304 million project will turn the 2-kilometer avenue into “an extraordinary garden”, says Anne Hidalgo, the city’s mayor. According to architect Philippe Chiambaretta who has been working on ideas for the project for the last three years, the adopted plan he created will make the space “ecological, desirable and inclusive”.

The eight lanes of traffic – which see an average of 3,000 vehicles per hour – will be cut in half to make way for trees and pedestrians. Expected to be completed by 2030, the project will see its first stage – the revamping of the Place de la Concorde – ready in time for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games held in Paris.